Making a Difference

Anna Kiousis founded Barefoot Economy in 2005 after 16 years of travelling and working for humanitarian agencies with indigenous people developing countries across the Asia and Pacific region. 

“One of the highest priorities for the poorest people was access to employment that provided income to make a difference to their quality of life” said Anna.

“A lot of aid for developing countries was being directed towards very primary income generating projects such as providing cows to village people or teaching them how to weave baskets and make soaps. I realised, and so did the locals of course, that it was not enough to pull people out of poverty. It became clear that we need to re-write the formula for global socio-economic development based on world class ethical business practices”. 

“I am passionate about seeing a more meangingful outcome for people living in poverty in developing countries as a result of our work and this means applying good business DNA to ensure that all our projects are sustainable, ethical and effective. It also means that we remain lean and dynamic, producing tangible results on a shoestring budget. Now that’s refreshing!” said Anna 

Setting up Barefoot Economy was a really big idea with really big challenges and many may have believed that it could not be done. However, one by one people came on board, architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, accountants, graphic artists, website designers, journalists and members of the media, volunteers and many more, all giving freely of their skills fuelled by the simple idea that working together we can make the world a better place. 

Trialling Organic Lemongrass in Chitwan, Nepal