Sarah Haoda Todd is a Papua New Guinean fashion designer and activist. Her design motto is: "Wear your culture." The clothing she designs uses textiles from her own part of Papua New Guinea. It shows the culture of her home. She also is an activist. She works to protect women and children from violence. She is a founder and leader of Women Arise. Women Arise is an organization that fights against violence affecting women and children.
Education
Haoda Todd studied Management at Divine Word University, PNG. She then completed the Executive Master of Business Administration program at Papua New Guinea University of Technology.
Career
Haoda Todd first worked as an executive assistant. She helped high-level managers in a mining company organize their work. She then worked as an assistant to an advertising manager.
Lae Everclean
In 1997, Haoda Todd started a cleaning service. It was called Lae Everclean, because she lived in Lae City. She wanted to start laundry and dry cleaning service. Haoda Todd could not get a small business loan. So it was too expensive to start a dry cleaning business. Her mentor, Ron Werner, said that she could "clean toilets and buildings" for less money. Lae Everclean grew into a big cleaning and laundry service. It cleaned for many companies, for example: SP Brewery Lae and Nambawan Super Ltd in Port Moresby. In 2008, she expanded Lae Everclean to Port Moresby. By 2013, Lae Everclean had over 350 employees.
Haoda Todd got the Westpac Women in Business Award in 2011. Westpac gave women awards in five different categories. Haoda Todd won the Entrepreneur Award for leading Lae Everclean. Then, she was chosen from the five award winners to win the overall Women in Business Award.
PNGianKala
In 2012, Haoda Todd founded PNGianKala (pronounced "Papua New Guinean color"). It is a clothing company. Haoda Todd says people should "Wear your culture." Papua New Guinean cultures and symbols from PNG inspire her designs. Her designs are also inspired by local styles like a traditional style of weaving called bilum, traditional tattoos, and Oro tapa.
Her first fashion show was at an Indigenous Business Council meeting. She then had shows in Fiji, Indonesia, and Australia. PNG Fashion and Design Week showed Haoda Todd's work. European designers liked her work. She was invited to London Pacific Fashion Week in 2017 and 2018.
By 2015, Haoda Todd was managing business interests in PNG, Australia, Fiji and a number of Asian countries. Fashion retailer Jack's of PNG commissioned PNGianKala for an exclusive line of clothing in 2016. in 2017 Haoda Todd designed clothing honoring Susan Karike Huhume. Susan Karike Huhume designed the flag of Papua New Guinea.
In 2017 she was the only designer representing PNG. In 2018 she traveled with Anna Amos of AA Tribal and Alang Isaac of the Angau Angles. It was very difficult and expensive to travel and ship exhibits to London.
In 2017, Haoda Todd also helped to start PNGiankala Runway. PNGiankala Runway helps PNG designers raise money to travel to other countries.
Indigenous Business Council
Haoda Todd helped start the Indigenous Business Council.
In the19th century, Parts of Papua New Guinea had been colonized by Germany and then the United Kingdom. Then it was a territory of Australia from 1906-1975. It became an independent country in 1975.
Now, only about ten percent of businesses in PNG are owned by indigenous people. Haoda Todd and other business people wanted to help indigenous Papua New Guinean people start businesses. In 2011, at the Indigenous Business Summit and Trade Expo, people from over 750 indigenous-owned businesses said they needed to make an organization to help indigenous people start new businesses and lead them well.
In 2012, the Indigenous Business Council began. Running a business is difficult in PNG. PNG needs better infrastructure. This means there is not enough electricity. Roads are in bad condition. People do not know enough about technology. People do not know how to have businesses. It is hard to get a business loan from a bank. The Council trains people to run businesses. It protects indigenous owned businesses.
The Indigenous Business Council had no money. Haoda Todd organized fundraisers to pay for the Council. The PNG government then gave the Indigenous Business Council US $500 million.
Haoda Todd was Secretary of the Indigenous Business Council from 2011 to 2013.
Haoda Todd wants to build the PNG fashion industry. She hopes to help indigenous people become fashion designers.