TAMPA, Fla — Anji Degante opened Accent Styles Boutique in 2022. She travels to Kenya bimonthly, and every time she returns to the Tampa Bay area, she brings back clothing and art made by people in the east African country.
Degante sells the goods in her Tampa store. On her website, Degante highlights that the goods sold at Accent Styles Boutique are produced via "fair trade" and says the store "takes pride in paying fair wages and producing authentic products."
“A percentage of every sale goes back to sending kids in Kenya to school. It goes to providing their hygiene, their deodorant, their shampoo,” Degante said. “I feel like it is the manifestation of my prayers. I want to continue to build a bridge, I want to defy the stereotypes. I want to take things to the next level.”
Degante helps run Mama Fauzia Children’s Home in Kenya.
“Originally, when I went to Kenya, I was expecting to change her. And when I got there, she changed every single part of me,” Degante said. “We were raised on African principles and giving back to others. I feel like it is the manifestation of my prayers. I envisioned every part: from the gold rods, gold hangers, to the color of the walls, to the greenery hanging from the sky. We were raised on African principles and giving back to others.”
To help kids with Mama Fauzia Children’s Home, visit Degante's website: Accentstylesboutique.com.