As I watched the How We Thrive #3 film, Made in Mekhe, I gained a lot of new insights. This documentary, which explores the business world in other countries, was particularly touching. Set in Sub-Saharan Africa, the movie revolves around Magatte Wade, the founder of the Skin is Skin brand. Although the business was established in Austin, Texas, it is manufactured in Mekhe, Senegal. I learned that Senegal's economic freedom rating is quite low as compared to other countries, with a ranking of 124 out of 159. Anyone importing goods into Senegal for business purposes incurs a staggering 45% tariff. In addition to this disadvantage, I discovered that starting a new business in one's own country in Sub-Saharan Africa is much more challenging than in the United States, considering that there are fewer available resources. Through the documentary, I was introduced to Moussa Gueye, the owner of the CAWAAN family business, who works with Magatte Wade to overcome these hurdles.

On further exploration, I discovered that the primary cause of poverty in Africa is the lack of income, and the absence of jobs is an obvious symptom. Without job opportunities, there can be no businesses, leaving smart individuals without options. This fact is made clear through the stark difference between the Doing Business Index, where the USA ranks 6, and Senegal ranks 140. The film revealed an eye-opening truth about shoe company TOMS, which, surprisingly, instead of helping, was causing great harm. Moussa Gueye made a statement that resonated with me, "Tom is just trying to push their brand by making us look like we can’t take care of ourselves. If Tom is really going to help us, why not come to the local shoe makers and give us contracts to make the shoes for the school? That would be most helpful." I was painfully aware of the damage that large companies can inflict on small businesses in struggling countries like Senegal. It became apparent to me that when people purchase shoes from TOMS, they may think they are aiding charitable causes, but in reality, they may unwittingly be contributing toward a situation that erodes people's jobs and source of income.

Finally, the most distressing takeaway for me was to learn that people are losing their lives at sea because they are forced to leave their countries in fishing boats, seeking jobs in Europe to provide for their families. "There are close to 1,450 Senegalese from this village who have lost their lives this way." Such unforeseen consequences of human action in the global marketplace must be acknowledged and addressed if we hope to make a positive difference.