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Jul 10
0

Mozambique Relief Efforts – Long Road of Recovery

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In March and April of 2019, Mozambique was hit by two back to back devastating cyclones only weeks apart (Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth). It barely made the news cycle in the USA even though they were two of the worst storms in history to hit the southern hemisphere with record-breaking rainfall, massive flooding, and powerful winds up to 105mph. The cyclones killed thousands of people and displaced millions without shelter, food, and water.

My sister, her husband, and our nephew have called Mozambique home for over 15 years, working and living alongside incredible Mozambican leaders creating sustainable job and educational programs. The cyclones hit just north of where they live, but as soon as they heard about the need they immediately shifted their focus & efforts to emergency relief work. Their local team has been working tirelessly over the last few months to deliver aid and rescue people stranded by the flooding, sometimes driving 10+ hours one way to reach the hardest hit villages.

Their efforts have been so efficient and well organized that larger relief organizations, like the UN and Team Rubicon, reached out to commend them and encourage them to keep doing what they’re doing in order to reach as many people as possible. Even as we sit here today, there are still hundreds of people that can only be reached with aid by boat or helicopter.

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We’re doing our small part to help, so $10 of every HUMAN(KIND) product will go directly towards their sustainable relief efforts on the ground. Please spread the word so we can support these communities as much as possible on this long road to recovery!

SHOP HUMAN(KIND) TEES

SHOP HUMAN(KIND) SWEATSHIRTS

Thank you!

Lauren Wallis

Co-Founder/CEO

YOUME Clothing

Jun 28
0

2018

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2018 IMPACT + HIGHLIGHTS

We saw a ton of growth and transformation as an organization last year, as we continued working alongside our community partners to fund incredible projects focused specifically in the areas of EDUCATION and JOB CREATION. Here are some of the highlights!

 

Creating Artisan Jobs

Mozambique: We funded a Weaving Scholarship to help create more jobs at the future Artisan Center established through our partner in Mozambique. These funds hire a master weaver to train a student how to weave a new style in 30 days, like our woven Market Tote pictured above! It also included the cost of materials and a months food budget for the student in training.

Our partner told us, “These scholarships have the potential to change a person’s life for many years to come by enabling them with the tools and training to work for a living. This training also helps ensure these incredible traditional weaving styles are passed down to younger, future generations.”

We also funded the purchase of an industrial sewing machine that will get delivered from South Africa and open up even more possibilities for products and secure more jobs at the Artisan Center in Mozambique in 2020. It’s a workhorse capable of heavy-duty sewing like PVC, leather and tent canvas and it will be used for training, product design, and manufacturing.

 

Kenya: We loved collaborating with our friends at the Imani Collective to make these special canvas totes! Each one is sewn and screen-printed in Kenya with “Cultivate Kindness” on the outside, and signed on the inside by the woman who made it. Imani Collective creates artisan made homewares, employing over fifty Kenyan men + women in Mtepeni Village and Mombasa, along with half a dozen women stateside in Dallas, TX.

SHOP THE TOTES

 

California: We love supporting local makers! We worked with our friends at ENJOY to create these limited edition upcycled handplanes for bodysurfing! Their unique patterns and colors all came from the repurposed YOUME fabric patches put onto recycled surfboards and then covered with eco-friendly resin, making them truly one-of-a-kind.

Special Features:
Handcrafted in San Diego
Made from recycled surfboards
Adjustable strap made from recycled neoprene wetsuits
A few models have added GoPro mount

 

Supporting Girls’ Education

Mozambique: In September, we partnered again with Kurandza’s #IStandforGirls2018 campaign in Mozambique! Through your support, we were able to completely sponsor 3 scholarships for girls to access education! This covers all of their school fees, uniforms, backpacks, school supplies, books, photocopies, and transportation costs for an entire year.

We are proud to support organizations like Kurandza who are empowering local families and their children (especially girls), giving them opportunities and choices for their future through education.

 

In Malawi, we funded a sewing workshop for a group of High School girls transitioning out of homelessness through Voices Awake! The project completely covered the costs of the Tailoring & Design Classes for the girls, plus the pay + transportation for the facilitators. These workshops are important because they focus on equipping the girls with skills outside the classroom that give them choices + opportunities to earn an income and change their future. Our partner shared with us,

“As YOUME Clothing is about transformation, so is Voices Awake. Our Vision is of a Malawi where every girl is adequately empowered to transform her life and community. Our mission is awakening the potential in girls by equipping them holistically to fight against harmful traditions for the positive transformation of their lives. I believe given the basic needs, the knowledge, and the skills they have a power to make informed choices that positively impact their lives.” – Vanessa Mwangala, Executive Director of Voices Awake

These young girls have experienced incredible pain + hardship, but are now in a stable home and on a path to healing thanks to Vanessa + her team at Voices Awake!

Every year YOUME continues to support empowering, creative partnerships like these ones. Your generosity is the reason we can do that! Please consider making a donation or a purchase today!

SAIL Finalist + Grant Funding

We were 1 of 10 organizations selected to participate in a 14-week program called SAIL (Social Enterprise Accelerator & Impact Lab) here in San Diego!  The goal of SAIL is:

“To empower nonprofit organizations and purpose-driven businesses to be more effective and efficient, and help them develop sustainable business models based on earned revenue. SAIL provides a rich curriculum with content, tools, workshops, and lectures that help social entrepreneurs build and test their idea. Mission Edge empowers SAIL participants to assess opportunities, build a business model, test and validate ideas, launch, and pitch revenue-generating products and services.”

We then made it into the TOP 5 Finalists to pitch for funding at the end of the program! After the Final SAIL Pitch, we were given a generous grant from The San Diego Foundation for $25,000! This grant funding made it possible to continue growing YOUME by paying myself a small stipend, allowing us to hire part-time refugee sewers through the IRC in SD for all our holiday orders, as well as purchase printing equipment that will increase our production and fund more job training!

Thank you to Mission Edge, The SAIL Program, The SD Foundation for their generosity and support!

 

Press Highlight: Featured in Forbes!

We were thrilled to be interviewed by Michelle Martin at WOMEN@FORBES! It’s a great feature on why we started YOUME Clothing and our refugee job training program with the IRC in San Diego.

More 2018 press highlights:

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Event Highlight: The Yellow Conference in LA!

YOUME was an official vendor in the Do Good Market at the Yellow Conference again last year, where we shared a booth with our favorite gal from ONEHOPE Wine! It’s an incredible gathering for women using their gifts, skills, and talents to work together for the good of the world.

Last year’s theme was OWNERSHIP, and they brought together world-class speakers, panelists, and vendors from every field for an incredible 2-day conference in LA. We met so many phenomenal women and walked away feeling inspired, challenged and empowered with tools to “take ownership” of our stories, visions and abilities. I highly recommend marking your calendar to go this year! Learn more at: YELLOW CO

More Market + Event Highlights:

  • Galentines at Oak + Elixir
  • Wear Justice Event PLNU
  • Forum Makers Market
  • Spring SD Made Market
  • Gold Leaf Pop-Up
  • SAIL Program Final Pitch
  • SD Made Holiday Market
  • Justice Film Festival NY
  • Sip + Shop Christmas Event
  • Global Christmas Market (NCCC)
  • Unique Holiday LA Santa Monica

 

Every year YOUME continues to support projects to help those in need in creative, sustainable, empowering ways. Help us make an even bigger difference in 2019 by making a donation towards our mission!

 

THANK YOU!

Feb 03
2

Agua e Vida – Mozambique

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“Water connects every aspect of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly turn problems into potential – unlocking education, work opportunities, and improved health for women, children and families across the world.” (source: water.org)

Água é vida means “water is life” in Portuguese, the national language of Mozambique.

It’s a country still struggling to recover from decades of civil war, battling a lack of infrastructure, government corruption, and poverty. However, it doesn’t take long to see how Mozambicans continue to rise above it all with incredible resiliency. Their rich culture, food, hospitality and breathtaking tropical coast all capture a piece of your soul.

Last fall YOUME returned to Mozambique to work with one of our amazing partners Cross Connection Outreach. We helped fund a well repair in a remote village called Mavanza, where families had been without consistent clean water for months because of rusted parts and old, leaking pipes in their broken well.

CCO’s Mozambican staff, equipped with many years of experience, led the well repair from beginning to end. One of the highlights of this project was getting to watch the local CCO staff educate the community leaders with maintenance training so they can assume responsibility for keeping the well in working condition.

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It took hours to remove the old pieces and begin the process of replacing them with brand new well parts. The members of this community were so familiar with every nut and bolt of this well, and we were struck by the reality of “water is life.” The water from this well is a source of life for their families, their livestock and their land – of course, they knew every piece of it. Water comes so easily out of our faucet every day, we so often take this precious gift for granted.

We worked side by side with the village members, covered in dirt and sweat, pulling these huge pipes out of the ground. Most of the villagers were women, and as research studies have shown:

“Women are disproportionately affected by the water crisis, as they are often responsible for collecting water. This takes time away from work, school and caring for family. Lack of water and sanitation lock women in a cycle of poverty. Empowering women is critical to solving the water crisis. Involving women can make water projects 6 to 7 more times effective. When women have access to safe water, they can pursue skills outside of their traditional roles and experience greater autonomy and independence.” (source: water.org)

Thanks to your support, this well is now repaired and back to providing clean water for over 250 people, plus their gardens and livestock! As one of the community leaders said, “These materials are very expensive, so thank you for your help in bringing these because now – today – we will have water again.”

The Mavanza Well Repair reminds us that when we connect our resources and talents, we are working towards a world where every community has clean water. This is what it turning rags into resources looks like. Thank you for being a part of this life-changing cycle!

well-grp

Nov 01
0

Meet Sarah – Volunteer Intern

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My favorite season is fall. The scarves, snuggling by a fire, and the warmth of your coffee.

Okay, okay. I’ll admit it. In San Diego, it still feels sunny and 75…but regardless, it is a time when the earth sheds the old to make space for the new. To leave room for beauty to bloom. God has been teaching me a lot lately about how He redeems, He restores and how He makes all things new. In fall, a tree may have lost all of its leaves, but the integrity of trunk and its branches remain. It is that foundation and support that becomes crucial to give new leaves a home.

I’m reminded how YOUME Clothing emulates the life of a tree, a strong foundation with a recurring cycle of the old becoming new, rags into resources. I have not been able to attend a clothing exchange in country yet, but I hope to soon! I have been able to be a part of the process here, coming alongside the other volunteers for a “Sewing Night” held in our homes. We cut out the patches into different shapes: triangles, hearts, circles and sewed them onto apparel. And I have also had the opportunity to join the team as a volunteer intern, sell products and tell our story at local events!

At YOUME, our core values are: quality, renewal, empowerment, transparency, and love. Quality means that our priority is to make excellent products. They are ethically sourced and sold at a fair price. Renewal is at the center of what we do with our Rags to Resources model, both with the products we sell and the relationships we build with our partners. Third is the empowerment of the local communities and focus on creating a cycle of good rather than one-way charity. Next is transparency, to measure the impact we have and give our partners a chance to comment on our work and suggest improvements. Finally, we believe in love because as the founder of YOUME Lauren Wallis puts it, “Love is putting you before me.” And it’s the catalyst for all we do.

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Processed with VSCO with b1 presetBut who am I you may ask, and why is it that I talk about YOUME 24/7?! I am a student at the University of San Diego in my fifth and FINAL (YAY) year. I am majoring in Education and minoring in Nonprofit Social Enterprise and Philanthropy, Theatre Arts and Performance Studies, and Credentialed in Nonprofit Management Professional. Yeah, that’s a lot. I am thankful for all of it though because it has led me to YOUME where I am able to take skills I have learned and a passion for social justice and apply them here.

I first started getting pumped about slow fashion, basically ethical fashion, about a year or so ago. I was attending Flood Church’s Christmas Collective for their concert. Before the concert, they were hosting a nonprofit fair with over 30 booths in attendance and YOUME was one of them. I walked up and saw Lauren working on her sewing machine, sewing patches on the shirts for sale. Then I found out that one of the volunteers was a friend I have known since high school! It just felt like family from the start. Their model and empowerment model caught me. I believe YOUME Clothing is an amazing pathway for the everyday human to pursue fashion molded toward creating good in our world. I am thankful that the YOUME team believes in me and has given me the chance to intern and launch our first ever Brand Ambassador program (coming soon). It has been an awesome way to engage my current community and empower those my age!

If anything that you read speaks to you or you’re passionate about sharing our story, please reach out to me!

Instagram: @sarahdee512
Email: sarahdifede@sandiego.edu

Sep 01
0

Flexing the Giving Muscle

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I recently started getting back into the swing of working out consistently and as with any new practice being implemented back into life, there is always a series of stages that your body can experience. And this got me thinking of how other areas or “muscles” of my life face similar stages of ups and downs.

Now, you probably just got done reading that first paragraph and are wondering if you accidentally signed up for an update from Runners World…you haven’t, I promise! I am getting to the part where YOUME comes in.

I have been volunteering with YOUME for about two years now, doing anything and everything to help carry on the mission. I’m mostly behind the scenes because I am an introvert and I love that kind of stuff. At times it has been admin work, coordinating volunteers, the occasional amateur building of props for events and just showing up ready to work hard.

In my experience, YOUME has been equivalent to a good workout. Of course, I’m still using my physical muscles to lift heavy boxes of merchandise and I occasionally struggle to put up the pop-up tent — but even more than that I am using my “giving” muscles. I have been developing these muscles as a volunteer for quite some time now, through the different ups and downs.

No one really likes to talk about the hard stuff. It is a nonprofit after all, focused on improving people’s lives, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t downs. Like when you wear pants to a hot summer outdoor event when you probably should’ve worn shorts or when people don’t buy any product or the occasional miscommunication and missed expectations for an event.

And then there are the “ups”, the really good stuff that keeps me coming back for more – it is like that runner’s high after a good, long run.
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As a full-time volunteer, I experience that high when I get to share the vision of YOUME with a new person (actually typing this up gives me chills). Or when you see your good friend and co-founder, Lauren Wallis, living out her purpose – that is actually the coolest thing ever. These moments and the variety of activities I’ve participated in within the organization have become different muscles I get to use and strengthen.

My favorite “up” has to be when the story comes full circle because a shirt I helped sell here in America helps a child to go to school in another country because they received a new uniform. Our mission has become even more tangible to me since we’ve partnered with the IRC in San Diego to train and hire refugee women in our own community to sew the patches onto our shirts. The heart and mission of this organization have grown to become such a part of me.

YOUME is my giving muscle and this is why I volunteer.

 

About Kelsey Dyer:
Kelsey is a social introvert and lover of personality quizzes, puns, and breakfast foods (specifically eggs). When she is not in the office solving web development problems, you can find her at a local coffee shop reading a book or sitting by the cliffs watching the sunset.

Oct 27
0

Creating jobs for refugee women in San Diego!

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We are thrilled to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Ahkam!

She is a beautiful mother and seamstress who came to the U.S. four years ago as a refugee from Sudan. For many refugees it’s often difficult to find good paying, flexible jobs due to language, transportation, child care, etc. So the last few months YOUME has participated in a job creation program with the International Rescue Committee in San Diego! IRC does incredible resettlement work with refugees here in our city and around the world. Through our employer partnership with them we’ve been able to bring on Ahkam to design/sew the patches onto our YOUME shirts and products! This wouldn’t have been possible without our partnership with the IRC, as well as The Sewing Machine Project and their generous donation of sewing machines for this program!

Ahkam said it gives her so much joy to think of the children she is helping in other countries with her sewing. With the continued support of incredible supporters like you our hope is to continue creating more jobs in San Diego for women like Ahkam, and continue impacting communities abroad!

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Next week we are going to announce an exciting way you can help us keep this program going. Stay tuned! Thank you!

Dec 23
0

End of Year Recap!

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Merry Christmas, friends! 2015 has been quite a year. We are excited to share all that’s been transpiring behind-the-scenes here at YOUME Clothing!

We’ve been so focused on our projects and my transition to full-time {more on that below}, that we’ve fallen a bit behind in keeping you all updated. So keep reading below for updates from our partners, our plan to create local jobs in 2016, shop updates + more!

GIVING

Our biggest change this year was that I {Lauren} quit my day job to pursue YOUME Clothing full-time! Recently, it became incredibly clear that in order to sustain the growth we’ve been experiencing and continue increasing our positive impact, I would need to be ALL IN with YOUME. Though it has been scary and faith-testing, we’re confident this is the right decision and are beyond excited for what it means for YOUME and our family! Since our creation, everyone at YOUME has been a volunteer, and even though we’re a 501c3 nonprofit we rarely ask for donations. We’ve chosen to operate more like a hybrid between a socially-minded business and nonprofit – being almost completely sustained through product sales. We feel so fortunate that our unique model has allowed us to clothe hundreds of kids in four countries, as well as provide clean water and educational projects in each of our partner communities! It’s a true testament to the passion and support of those who’ve purchased a shirt, joined a sew group or volunteered at an event. Our volunteers have kept the spirit and mission of YOUME alive & growing. But again, with that growth comes the realistic need for someone to manage it all. In order to make the greatest impact we can make in 2016, we need to harness and maximize this momentum with “seed capital” funds. This would allow us to:

  • Pay Lauren a small monthly stipend
  • Create San Diego jobs by hiring/training local Refugees as sewers
  • Fund additional clothing exchanges and community-led development projects
  • Expand our product line and product distribution
  • Fund marketing campaign to grow awareness for YOUME, our mission and the partner communities we serve

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Please consider partnering with us by making an end-of year gift. You can donate online at www.youmeclothing.org/donate or mail a check to YOUME FOUNDATION at 4120 Kansas St #5 San Diego, CA 92104. All donations are tax-deductible.

 

PARTNER PROJECTS

UGANDA (2014-15)

2014-2015: After our best Holiday season yet, we immediately hit the ground running with our projects. We’re very pleased that one of those projects is with our oldest partner community – and the place where it all began – Kito, Uganda.

Kito is where the YOUME concept – the idea to transform rags into resources, old things into new – was born, and it’s only fitting that it’s the location of our first endeavor of 2014. What Kito lacks in resources, it makes up for in the strength and beauty of its people who have courageously taken the reigns in developing their own community! Over the years, they’ve made great strides in improving the education, health and opportunities of its young and elderly population.

We were incredibly excited to partner with Enduring Communities, a nonprofit which helps run the day-to-day ground work in Kito, to fund the March operating costs of the village school.

The funds from YOUME provided:

  • breakfast for 300 kids each morning (total of 6,300 breakfast meals for the month)
  • lunch for 175 kids each day (total of 3,675 lunches for the month)
  • salaries and compensation for their 11 teachers
  • one cook and one administrator for the month
  • books and school supplies for 60 kids

We know true development and empowerment do not come fast or easy. They take time and work and wisdom, and require strong, collaborative partnerships between those in need and those able to help. And the development being done with our partners gives us great hope, and inspires us to continue pursuing and growing the great work of equipping and empowering communities.

MOZAMBIQUE (2014-15)

Another incredible exchange happened last year, with our partners in Vilankulo, Mozambique. Our friends at Cross Connection Outreach have a beautiful ministry recording the New Testament in the native language of hundreds of rural tribes, onto solar-powered MP3 players. Many of these communities are illiterate, as well as lacking access to clean water or basic health care – so CCO provides the bibles as well as water repairs, rural health clinics, school uniform distributions, discipleship training & so much more. They consist of mostly native Mozambican staff with an incredible heart to see lives transformed in their own communities, they exemplify everything we look for in our on the ground partners.

In September, we flew to Vilankulo and partnered with them to clothe 100 local children living in extreme poverty. Each child received a brand new outfit in exchange for their oldest rags (we purchased new clothing at the local stores/markets to support the local economy). Our favorite moment was watching them each go behind the building to change into their new clothes. They would walk back so reserved, but then come out giggling in excitement to the cheers of their friends waiting for them! Their mothers were so proud they had something to give, even something as small as the few pieces of clothing to bring in exchange. The chief’s son also attended the exchange to show his support, and said something so simple but powerful to the kids, “This is not because you are poor. We are here today, working together to help each other.” We love that. It’s not a hand-out, it’s an investment on both sides for the betterment of the community. We have been sewing + selling shirts since this exchange to go towards a community water project in Mozambique. One of CCO’s projects has been identifying broken wells other NGO’s have built and been abandoned due to lack of follow-up or training. They hire staff to repair the wells and to train a group of community members in maintenance and repair. This insures the community is invested and the well provides clean water for years to come. The funds from YOUME provided:

Our original goal was to cover one well repair process: cost of materials, staff and training. Because of your generous support this year, we we were able to fund not just one well repair, but two!!Both Chigamane village and Belane school were impacted because you purchased a shirt or volunteered this year. That’s over 1,000 people that now have clean water! We can’t thank you enough!

MALAWI (2015-16)

Our good friends Cindy & Tim have been faithful volunteers with YOUME for years! They started one of the first San Diego sew groups, opening up their home every week for people to come sew, cut patches and form friendships around a common cause. They have been passionately working and forming relationships in Malawi for close to 10 years, so we were really excited when an opportunity came up to do a school uniform exchange there! Cindy & Tim flew back in July to partner with RiseMalawi, a ministry comprised of an after school program, a meal program, HIV/Aids awareness initiatives, and a girls’ empowerment program. We prefer to support the local economy vs. bring over pre-bought clothing, so we paid a local tailor in Madisi to sew 80 brand new uniforms! They were high quality fabric & turned out so beautiful (see pictures below). On the last day of camp they did the exchange, and Cindy said going through the process was more emotional than she expected. Talking to the kids about how they have something worth contributing, that this process can be a metaphor for how God loves us, how He desires to take the old things of our life and make them new. After the exchange, they went outside to take a group picture and one of the local staff members, Za, said so many of the kids couldn’t believe they had a uniform! One boy had never had one before and now he could go to school feeling proud and excited. Another girl said clothes are fairly easy to come by, but uniforms are much more expensive and harder to get, she told them, “You did a good thing here today.”

Huge thanks to Cindy & Tim, their SD sew group & the whole RiseMalawi team for making it possible! We are thrilled to start sewing the Malawi patches onto YOUME Clothing in 2016. The proceeds will go towards their girls’ empowerment program & supporting the local meal program. Stay tuned for more Malawi updates in 2016!

EVENTS

BETTER TOGETHER Event: Our first official San Diego fundraiser was so much fun, and a great success! This event would not have happened without our rockstar team of volunteers – from setting up, to gathering silent auction donations, sewing shirts live, selling at the booth, playing live music & so much more! Every person that came out to support through buying a ticket, bidding at the auction or buying a shirt that night helped us raise over $4,500! This allowed us to do the exchange in Malawi sooner than expected, fund an extra well repair in Mozambique, and start to plan for next year’s exchanges & projects!

We also premiered our new “Who We Are” video at the event, have you seen it? Check it out:

 

Other great events we were a part of in 2015:

  • World Refugee Day
  • Quartyard Market
  • Pechakucha Night
  • ONEHOPE: Wine for Water
  • Common Good Holiday Party
  • The Christmas Collective
  • NCCC Christmas Missions Market
  • The Knox Holiday Boutique

SHOP

We’ve added some great new styles and colors to our online store, and more coming in 2016! We also partnered with two new retail stores in 2015. If you’re in their area, be sure to go by and say hi:

  • The Aware House {located in San Diego, CA}
  • Be the Change Boutique {located in Mt. Pleasant, SC}

If you made it this far, you’re a champ!! And we love you. Feel free to share this update with family and friends. We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!