The initiative for SHE was sparked during McGriff’s senior year at the University of Idaho as a class project. She was inspired by a book she read about female enrollment rates in primary schools worldwide and sought market solutions to address the issue which affects over 100 million girls globally.
McGriff traveled to Nôtse, Togo, encouraged by a professor from there. There she discovered that 69% of households lived below the poverty line and women and girls shouldered most household chores. Further, the cost of school uniforms was prohibitive for many families, inhibiting children from completing their education.
Girls shared stories of being shamed out of school due to a lack of uniforms. Seeing this as a starting point, McGriff established SHE to produce simple and culturally appropriate dresses. These unique designs include extra fabric that can be adjusted to fit any body shape and can elongate the dress up to six sizes.
SHE now operates two factories in Togo where seamstresses earn 75% more than the minimum wage and enjoy comprehensive Western-style benefits. The organization is managed locally by those familiar with the cultural environment and challenges on the ground.
McGriff told CNN, “The vision for starting SHE was always for it to become locally led because local women understand the challenges and the solutions far better than I ever could.”
SHE serves Nôtse and 20 other rural villages, recycling all leftover textile scraps into menstrual pads to address another major barrier to education.
She is currently seeking to raise $25,000 through an ongoing GoFundMe campaign to enroll another 500 girls in its program. A $50 donation provides a full year of education for a girl in one of the villages, including school uniforms, supplies, and tuition.
Source: Good News Network
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