The School Uniforms Project
Globalization at its Best
Problem: School Uniforms - around the world
The average weekly income in many underdeveloped countries 7.00 USD. The average price for a school uniform is 10.00 USD. Many parents don’t send their children to school because they cannot afford to buy them a school uniform. This is often used as an excuse to send the children to work or keep them home to help with house chores.
Problem: Children's Literacy
In many small villages in Lebanon, children are kept out of school in order to help with house chores or go to work. In the village of Wadi Al Jamus, five women formed an association called ‘Al uswa el Hasana’ (An Excellent Example of Conduct) that runs a literacy program to help the local girls stay in, or return to, school. The program is financed by the manufacturing and selling of clothing made with sewing machines provided by UNICEF
The result of an online competition with the students of SCAD Savannah School of Art and Design has produced a new design for a school uniform standard. We have provided the NGO at Wadi Al Jamus in Lebanon with updated professional sewing equipment. We have sent our people to train them on how to manufacture the School Uniforms. Once completed we buy the uniforms back from the NGO at Fair Trade prices. The income generated allows the NGO to finance their Literacy program and creates local jobs empowering the community. We deliver the uniforms to children in need worldwide. 20 jobs created. Over 100 children in the Literacy Program. Over a thousand uniforms delivered. A thriving global on-line community.
