Welcome to Mgeni Designs - www home of Erika Tornquist

African Sandals, imported by Erika Tornquist. I bought these from my friends in Niarobi, Kenya in January. They're all hand made with good, solid leather, and the beads, rock and shells are sewn on with high-tension fishing line (so they're flexible, but won't break).

I've been selling the Kenyan Sandals at weekend markets while looking for more traditional store distribution channels.
I also design african-inspired accesories, such as handbags and jewellry - which can also be found on my Mgeni Designs website (www.mgenidesigns.com).



Thanks for checking us out!

My name’s Erika and I have decided to do something about the poverty I’ve witnessed in Africa.  I went to Africa for a holiday for a few weeks to visit friends and stayed for 6 months.

I was amazed at what I saw.  Smiles, community spirit, acceptance, and a hope that all will be well.  Not really the sort of thing you’d expect from people living in shanty towns and rural areas with no electricity, running water or employment.  Yet they were always happy!

Upon returning home from my little holiday, I realised I had to go back.  I spent 12 months living in Johannesburg working as a volunteer at Johannesburg General Hospital doing HIV/AIDS counselling;  with different community projects in Soweto;  and many other smaller projects scattered around South Africa and Kenya that were in need of a hand to get off the ground.  I was allowed an insight into what their world was like.  I now had a mission.

My goal is to give something back to a community that welcomed me with open arms, wherever I went, even though on the outside I looked so very different from them.

I wish to establish a workshop program in Mafikeng, located in the north-west province of South African, where a number of women will be employed to do what they do best - create beautiful clothes, jewellery, shoes and interior decorating pieces.

These items will be imported and sold in Australia, to ensure that this income-generating program becomes long term and self-sustaining, and further utilised for a vocational education training program where these women will be able to be educated in running their own business, and/or train others in the knowledge and skills they have just been taught.

Your contribution and interest in buying this article is helping to empower an individual who has not had the opportunities that we so take for granted.

It is up to each of us to help each other be the best we can be, and one person CAN make a difference.

I hope that you continue to support us and follow us on our journey.  It will certainly be an interesting and rewarding one.