About
Scroll down to find out more about AASOA’s objectives and founders.
About AASOA
Our mission is to be the best UK-based solution for discovering the vibrant personalities of Africa through their beautiful and authentic artwork and apparel. We have a vast selection of acrylic and oil paintings, as well as a mixture of vibrant collage-style clothing and stunning ‘Ankara’ accessories.
Art and Soul of Africa is a social enterprise with the following aims:
Generate funds, 100% of which are donated to our partner charity The AYDA Foundation, working to improve the lives of the Tailbé children in St. Louis, Senegal (over £15,000 raised!)
Celebrate and explore African cultures whilst promoting positive cultural exchanges.
Create long-term relationships with the artists, which are built on the foundations of meaningful collaboration, trust and respect.
Design a platform for African artists to expand their clientele and for Europeans to find authentic and affordable African art.
From co-workers to best mates to business partners, let’s meet
AASOA’s Founder and our Head of African Operations:
Hugh Anderson and El Hadj Ndiaye
Hugh Anderson (Founder: left) and El Hadj Ndiaye (Head of African Operations: right) in 2016.
Hugh Anderson
Hey there👋 I’m Hugh from Cambridge, UK. I’m the one who founded AASOA and built this website. I’m currently based in beautiful Nairobi, Kenya, working as a Commercial Project Manager for Watu Africa. Previously, I worked in various roles at Vodafone and M-PESA in London.
I met El Hadj in 2016, whilst volunteering on a construction/renovation projects at local schools in St. Louis, Senegal. My amazement at walking past the artisanal markets on my way to work there was what inspired me to help others gain access to this beautiful art, and help the artists to reach more customers.
From my first trip to Africa in 2009, seeing where his father was born and raised in Kenya, my love for the continent continues to grow exponentially and I’m always planning AASOA’s next project!
El Hadj Ndiaye
From St. Louis in Senegal, El Hadj is 37 and is a serial entrepreneur, with his own interior decoration business, 2 shops and two farms. He is pictured here with his wife Khady and their daughter Fatima.
El Hadj is an absolute pillar of the community in Saint Louis, often taking responsibility and action when communal issues arise. Despite working long hours in the Senegalese heat all week, you’ll often find him doing volunteer work wherever needs his expert skills most.
He has been completely fundamental to getting AASOA up and running, and he’s the co-president of our partner charity the AYDA (Alliance for Youth Development in Africa) Foundation, a charity that provides education, food, shelter, clothing and community to the vulnerable children of Senegal.
Project Lion, 2024
Target: £10,000 Total raised:
£11,706.78
In February 2024, we’re launching Project Lion - a large scale renovation project in collaboration with the AYDA Foundation at our partner school - Nalla Ndiaye in Saint Louis, Senegal.
Who are the AYDA Foundation? The Alliance for Youth Development in Africa is a multinational nonprofit organization that advocates for improved conditions for the youth to acquire the skills and confidence to excel in school and continue education. They believe that insufficient education is a the root cause of many problems later in life, such as poor hygiene habits, under-developed communication skills, and a severe lack of confidence and thus motivation to continue school. Find out more here: https://aydaf.org/about-us
As a chronically underfunded public school, Nalla Ndiaye is often struggling to make ends meet to maintain its education of 980 pupils / students aged 10-18. Classrooms are small and packed - with between 40-80 kids. They often lack workbooks and writing tools. The desks are all very old and mostly broken. The blackboards are poor quality and need replacing. There are holes in the floors. The classrooms often flood in rainy season. The list of issues goes on - which is where we come in.
Over 1 month in summer 2024, we will work with local professionals to do a thorough renovation of the school, which will impact tens of thousands of students that pass through the school in the years to come.
Our target of £10,000 will cover:
Complete renovation of 8 classrooms at Nalla Ndiaye school
Construction of 6 toilets in local orphanages in Saint Louis
Weekly community kitchens for vulnerable children
Weekly first aid sessions for the community
50+ pairs of shoes for vulnerable children
We welcome any and all support, and feel free to follow our socials to join in for the journey - links are in the top right-hand corner of your screen.
O Rignell, P Cybinska, A Frith, E Akalumhe,
F Kille, A A Jayanth, S Marley, M Tirol,
F Saunderson, J George, Y Perry, A Sam,
J Wilkinson, A Viljoen, S Bota, F Tunmore,
A Fairey, M Lunnon, W Cross, A Altherr,
B Rebondy, M Diakité, F McWilliam,
K Brown, S Bearcroft, K Bearcroft, J Mantle,
A Lynas, J Perry, A Francis, T Cox,
L Alberich, A McWilliam, D McAteer,
D Al Qadri, A Iakymchuk
Website Launch Charity Sale 2020
Target: £1250 Total amount raised:
£1705.30
To celebrate the official launch of the AASOA website and to do something positive, for the whole month of June we are donated 100% of sales revenue to two very special charities:
1. The AYDA Foundation - the Alliance for Youth Development in Africa is a multinational nonprofit organization that advocates for improved conditions for the youth to acquire the skills and confidence to excel in school and continue education. They believe that insufficient education is a the root cause of many problems later in life, such as poor hygiene habits, under-developed communication skills, and a severe lack of confidence and thus motivation to continue school. Find out more here: https://aydaf.org/about-us
2. Tom’s Trust - Team Tom are dedicated to providing Clinical Psychology for children with brain tumours within UK hospitals. Their Clinical Psychologists work within a pioneering team to ensure that the children and their families are fully supported, enabling the children to reach their full potential. Find out more here: http://www.tomstrust.org.uk/what-we-aim-to-do/
Interested in donating to the charity sale without purchasing anything? You can scroll down to the bottom of the product catalogue or select “Donation Options” at the top of the page in the “Art” section of the website. There, you will see the options to donate either £10, £25, £50, £100, £250 or £500. Please give generously - this is a very difficult time for small charities. Thank you!