The Story: From the Founder

Ally KarabuLast edited April 2026

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Five years ago, this began as a disjointed idea from a high schooler with a schedule far too full, but a persistent question: what would it look like to truly centre and support the resilience of communities too often spoken about, rather than worked with? That idea has since grown into Angaza Taa, a social enterprise that uplifts grassroots organizations across East and Southern Africa through something as simple, and meaningful, as a tote bag.

My story sits across many places. I grew up between Rwanda, Tanzania, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Canada, and am now based in the U.S. That upbringing gave me access to spaces, education and opportunities I don’t take lightly. But it also came with something else: a constant awareness that my life is rooted in places that are not just stops along the way, but home, history and responsibility.

My grandparents and parents grew up in agriculture in Nakuru and Nyandarua counties. That is not a distant story to me; it is mine. I was raised to understand that where we come from is not something to outgrow or return to only in remembrance, but something to remain connected to. Most summers, Easters and Christmases were in ushago (slang for ancestral land), intentionally. Because without that connection, it ends with me, with ‘us’.

And yet, I also live in the reality of having “made it”: of migration to the North, of opportunity, of access. That in-between space has shaped how I see the world. The communities I come from were never lacking in knowledge, resilience or ways of living. What has often been missing is not capacity, but choice, whether indirectly or directly.

This is what I later came to understand more deeply through my studies in Global Development and Climate Science. As Amartya Sen writes:

“Development consists of the removal of various types of unfreedoms that leave people with little choice and little opportunity of exercising their reasoned agency.”

Development, then, is not about “fixing” communities or moving them away from ways of life that are often deeply sustainable and rooted. It is about expanding the range of choices available: to stay, to leave, to adapt, to build, on their own terms. My father’s journey made my life possible. But for many of his peers, neighbours and even family members, their paths were not shaped by the same access to opportunity. Not by lack of ambition, but by structural limits: barriers to education, limited employment pathways, weak safety nets and constrained systems of support. The question is not what people are capable of, but what options they are given.

These are not abstract ideas. They are realities that still exist within my own family and community. And that is where my work is grounded, not in charity, but in responsibility. Not in “giving back,” but in staying connected. In recognizing that communities like mine are not waiting to be developed, but are already building, adapting and leading, often without the resources or recognition they deserve.

Throughout my life, I’ve tried to live out that nexus: helping local organizations develop reusable sanitary products in Ethiopia, volunteering in soup kitchens in Halifax, engaging in debate through Model United Nations, and serving as Chair of the World University Service of Canada’s (WUSC) Student Refugee Program at Huron at Western. Without realizing it, every initiative I extended myself to made one thing clear: meaningful change happens when local knowledge and lived experience are not just included, but centred.

I attained an Honours BA in Global Development (’25) at Huron at Western University in Canada, and am now pursuing my MSc in Climate (’27) at Columbia University’s Climate School in New York. Founding Angaza Taa has opened the opportunity for me to serve as a Goetz Mauser Fellow at International House. I hope to scale Angaza Taa by refining operations and developing a strong team. Professionally, my time working with AKF in Kenya sparked a love for social development, along with a curiosity to blend it with GIS, remote sensing and the broader sciences behind the social and coastal climate resilience methods Angaza Taa supports.

These years deepened my critical engagement with questions of what ethical, sustainable “development” could, does, or should look like. Maybe there is no right answer, but that lens has greatly fueled Angaza Taa. What started as linocut-printed totes in my dorm room has become a growing venture that channels creativity into impact. 30% of every sale supports small to mid-size grassroots organizations working in conservation, climate resilience, women’s empowerment and community development. We choose partners intentionally: organizations rooted in their communities, responsive to local needs, and deeply invested in sustainable futures.

Angaza Taa continues to evolve alongside me. I’m continually striving to strengthen our partnerships, grow ethically, and sharpen our purpose: to create ethical, beautiful products and connect people across continents in building resilience, justice and hope.

Last but not least, my faith is deeply tied to my identity and passions. In a world marked by climate change, inequality, injustice and corruption, it’s easy to feel at the mercy of chaos. Yet Micah 6:8 challenges me: in this chaos, my God-given passion points to seeking justice, community and humility in the pursuit of nursing a broken world.

Angaza Taa is one way I live out that call: one tote, one partnership, one step at a time.