• OAVM Nederland
• OAVM HRM
• OAVM Zuid-Afrika

African Leadership Shirts

Why African Leadership Shirts?

Doing business in the African continent presents unique challenges and opportunities. High unemployment rates, lack of skills, unpolished talent and a lack of experience in several levels of management. Recognizing this, during the first trade mission, of OAVM Organisation & Consultancy, the Skills Development and Human Capital Management, in 2006, the idea was born to create a job creation project where the people of Africa benefit. Creating such a project and doing business that is organizing the FIFA World Cup soccer gives it an extra dimension. Soccer is the most widely played sport in South Africa. The country proudest sporting moment came when they won the African Nations Cup on home turf in 2006. From this, the idea of the African Leadership Shirts was born.

Design

The design of the shirts is based on the multi-coloured flag of South Africa. The multi-coloured flag of South Africa may have something to do with the acceptance of the term , the Rainbow Nation.  The logo symbolizes  Everybody knows South Africa as the rainbow nation and this reflects on the leadership shirts.  The colors of the South African flag do not have symbolic meanings in themselves, people assign meanings in themselves. The central design of the flag is important-it shows a sense of coming together all the different people and practices of South Africa and going on ahead altogether, representing a converging of paths, the merging of the past and present.

Making the shirts

The production of the shirts is in South Africa. The production team in the retail branche is suffering from the import of inexpensive cloths and material from China. A special logo was designed to expres the collaberation between export company Malibongwe from South Africa and OAVM Organisation & Consultancy, in the Netherlands. The development of the projects and to ensure ethical working conditions are met and supervised by Malibongwe and OAVM Organisation & Consultancy. Above all there is no child labor. 

Bead work

With every shirt a small flag of beadwork will be delivered presenting the country where the shirt is being exported to. These bead women are mostly single parents with HIV infected children. Many women themselves are HIV positive. On a specific day of the week, mostly Thursdays,  these women bring their kids to the local hospital in Cape Town for treatment. The income from beadwork goes towards transport and food. 

Cape Hutton Team

A portion of the sales of these shirts is being used on projects to increase soccer development as a social aid and to keep children from the streets. These children will benefit as well from the selling of the shirts. The Cape Hutton soccer team is just one of many good examples we support. 

Promotion

OAVM is negotiaiting with several organisations, sources and sport figures to promote the leadership shirts with them.  

Project Management

A part of the funds from the sale of these shirts are toward the training programs of young skilled South Africans. Because lack of experience is not only a problem of young South Africans but also other young Africans we named the project African Leadership Shirts. Buying and wearing these shirts contribute to the development of the future of Africa as a whole.  I am particulary passionate about the future of Africa, my goal is to initiate more leadership programs. We, at OAVM Organisation & Consultancy believe the future of Africa lies in the hands of future leaders who perhaps still are studying or about to step on the road to education. Leadership and the future-leaders help people believe in themselves, and the possibilities of the future.

Hopefully,  not only South Africans will wear these shirts with pride as their nation reaches for the World Cup in 2010,  but these shirts will become a symbol and capture the rest of Africa, Europe and the world. Companies hopefully will find this shirt, as a promotion article and are willing to support our goals. The African Leadeship Shirt, "A Leadership Orginal" will be available on the internet and by a division of OAVM Organisation & Consultancy.