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Even though she’s been the driving force behind the growth and development of Swahili Imports after founding the company nearly 15 years ago, Leslie Mittelberg never seeks out the limelight, and she never takes credit for her years of dedication to African artisans. She quietly allows everyone to presume that Papa--a Kenyan gentleman who joined the Swahili team back in the early days--runs the company, and she always attributes Swahili’s success to the artisans, employees or customers—never to herself.

 

Around our headquarters in Eugene, Oregon, she’s affectionately called Mamma Tyler, after the African tradition of a mother taking the name of her oldest or youngest child. We also call her “the little bee”, and her nickname in high school was “hummingbird”. To be such a small person, she has limitless energy and is almost always doing three or more things at once.

 

I remember thinking during my first few months at Swahili that I would like to be more like Leslie. Her business savvy is tempered by an honest, heartfelt concern for the welfare of everyone around her. I have learned of a long list of African students had passed weeks and even months living in her guest room, welcomed wholeheartedly to share her space while they pursued their studies.

 

I once watched her pack into her luggage several pairs of pants that one of our Kenyan producers prefers to wear but can’t get in Kenya. Another time I found her in tears after reading of the passing of a producer’s mother, and I realized that her success as a small mzungu woman working practically alone in Africa stemmed greatly from her ability to keep the human element central to all of her endeavors.

Leslie believes from the bottom of her soul that a fair and sustainable trade network can be established between Africa and the United States. She is dedicated to promoting the Swahili artisan network by always keeping our product selection new and exciting, encouraging our artisans to improve their business skills, making our customers as happy as possible and pushing each employee to do their personal best. We like to grumble about what a taskmaster she can be at times, but we all know deep down that without her hints and reminders, we would not accomplish nearly as much.

I gained even more appreciation for Leslie when I discovered I was pregnant with my first son. Instead of seeing my pregnancy as a hindrance to our operations, as a mother she celebrated the coming of my little one from the beginning, and when he was delivered, insisted that I arrange a nursery area into the office so I could breastfeed and keep my little one close. She never faltered in her enthusiasm for or understanding of my motherhood, even on trying days when teething concurred with upset customers or delayed shipments.

As I write, my second son is making gurgling sounds from his crib, which sits close to my desk. I have so much to be thankful for as a mother of two beautiful boys and an employee of a business with incredible heart, and I know that I owe most of it to Leslie. Without her advice, patience and occasional chiding, I would have missed out on so many beautiful experiences and emotions.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mamma Tyler. Without you, Swahili would just be another business.

--Darla (Mamma Rhys)