Nov. 23, 2022

A Sioux Falls business with a deep-rooted mission to empower women has moved into a bigger space.

Owner Leah Hofer is on a mission to embrace beauty and share the stories of people and cultures across the world through Jaber Soul Boutique, which just expanded to a larger space in The Empire Mall.

The word “jaber” means “beautiful” in one African tribal language, according to Hofer. Her boutique prides itself in accessorizing women on the outside and using profits to build up women on the inside.

Hofer said it all started after a mission trip with her daughter Corri to Kenya when her “comfortable living” wasn’t comfortable anymore and the world looked different. Admittedly before that trip, the Midwest mom wasn’t very well traveled.

That trip would be the first of many and later the inspiration for Jaber Soul Boutique, established in December 2020.

Hofer opened the first location in The Empire Mall in November 2021 and now has expanded to a retail space nearly 10 times bigger than the previous one. It’s near the Sanford Children’s play area not far from Applebee’s.

“As I’ve grown up and have kids and grandkids, I realize I’m beautiful just the way I am,” Hofer said. “Beauty comes from within the soul, and that’s the message we’re sending through this store.”

Hofer’s two daughters, Caiti and Corri, and two sons, Taylor and Alex, all have some involvement in the boutique.

The business started with jewelry they acquired from African women during travel to Kenya. They later added fair-trade items from countries such as India, Bali, Nepal and Ecuador.

Her most recent trip to Kenya this fall included an order with local moms and jewelry-makers whose products she sells in the states.

“I put an order in with the moms I’ve worked with who made the products, have them ready, and I also met with new moms, had jewelry made and placed orders with them,” Hofer explained.

“We’re trying to create a relationship with these moms, get to know them personally and their families.”

In addition to general wholesale items, Hofer also works with and buys products from small-business owners and artisan businesses across the country — in states from Idaho to Tennessee.

Products include clothing, shoes, jewelry, local crystals and natural stones as well as home decor.

Much of the profits from the store are cycled back to communities in Kenya where – together with the Rotary Club of Minnesota – they’re funding construction of a borehole at a school to provide access to clean water. In addition, they are helping fund a birthing center for a clinic on the edge of the Kenya-Tanzania border.

Additionally, Hofer and Jaber Soul sponsor several school-age children.

“After we pay our expenses and reinvest in more merchandise, our profits go back to our Kenya projects,” Hofer said.

Find Jaber Soul Boutique just south of the food court in The Empire Mall. Visit the store’s website and Facebook page for information.