JAMII FOUNDER Khalia said that the idea behind a discount card for independent black businesses came from her own struggles finding products, from food to cosmetics, in the area of London she was living in at the time.
“It was getting increasingly frustrating to me that I was not buying these items from people from my own community. I was having to compromise on foundation colours and all this kind of stuff ,” she recalled.
These difficulties along with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement sparked the idea. “We clearly don’t have a problem with politically mobilising because we can get up and make ourselves known when we need to but there is still something missing. For me, I thought maybe the issue is actually about economics.”
Jamii, which celebrated its second birthday in August, is proving to be a real success – it has 40 business partners, ranging from food to fashion, and reaches around 4,000 customers. There’s an online only and instore version of the discount card which is an incentive for shoppers to buy black.
“For me, it’s not just a business, it’s a passion. I’m trying to make a change in this world...that’s the thing that pushes me forward.”
Find out more at www.lovejamii.com [2]