Spring Break
Miami Students Design Clothes Pro-"Bono"
Miami University students aid a foreign country's economy through T-shirt sales
Lauren Beeler
Issue date: 11/10/06 Section: Features
This group, which was formed in September, is made up of 14 students from diverse academic backgrounds and experiences including such majors as art, political science and finance.
"It is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved," said Mitchelides, now president of the Edun Live project. "Everyone who is a part of the Edun Live project has a passion for the mission, not just the business. It's all about changing lives and improving the overall utility of life."
Each Edun Live T-shirt is bought as a blank canvas. The Edun Live project at Miami purchases the shirts for $4 from the factory in Lesotho and then, with one of three Miami student graphic designers, comes up with a model for customers. The design is then screen printed onto the T-shirts at Talk of the Town, a printing store in Akron, Ohio, and shipped to customers.
According to the Edun Live Web site, while traveling through Butha Buthe, Lesotho, a few years ago, the current factory owner was stopped by two school principals. The two, distraught with poverty and anger, begged the stranger to open the factory in their community to create new jobs for the area. At the time the factory was not receiving enough work to keep local garment workers employed, and many were forced to find jobs in Lesotho's capital, Maseru. This two-hour trip was time consuming and costly for workers. By placing T-shirt orders through this factory, Edun Live is giving Lesotho the employment they needed with a living wage.
St. Mary's Church in Oxford was the first organization to purchase T-shirts for a church retreat held last month. Associated Student Government (ASG), Program Board and the Senior Legacy Campaign have also placed large orders through Edun Live. Typically T-shirts cost a few dollars more than local screen printers due to the unique situation.
These student organizations use Edun Live not only for their skills, but the cause.
"Andy came to a Program Board executive meeting about a month ago, and after telling us about Edun Live we were all immediately touched and knew we had to be a part," said senior Hilary Chaikin, president of Program Board. "It is purely an organization to help others; it is different than anything we've had before because it really is directly impacting lives."
"It is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved," said Mitchelides, now president of the Edun Live project. "Everyone who is a part of the Edun Live project has a passion for the mission, not just the business. It's all about changing lives and improving the overall utility of life."
Each Edun Live T-shirt is bought as a blank canvas. The Edun Live project at Miami purchases the shirts for $4 from the factory in Lesotho and then, with one of three Miami student graphic designers, comes up with a model for customers. The design is then screen printed onto the T-shirts at Talk of the Town, a printing store in Akron, Ohio, and shipped to customers.
According to the Edun Live Web site, while traveling through Butha Buthe, Lesotho, a few years ago, the current factory owner was stopped by two school principals. The two, distraught with poverty and anger, begged the stranger to open the factory in their community to create new jobs for the area. At the time the factory was not receiving enough work to keep local garment workers employed, and many were forced to find jobs in Lesotho's capital, Maseru. This two-hour trip was time consuming and costly for workers. By placing T-shirt orders through this factory, Edun Live is giving Lesotho the employment they needed with a living wage.
St. Mary's Church in Oxford was the first organization to purchase T-shirts for a church retreat held last month. Associated Student Government (ASG), Program Board and the Senior Legacy Campaign have also placed large orders through Edun Live. Typically T-shirts cost a few dollars more than local screen printers due to the unique situation.
These student organizations use Edun Live not only for their skills, but the cause.
"Andy came to a Program Board executive meeting about a month ago, and after telling us about Edun Live we were all immediately touched and knew we had to be a part," said senior Hilary Chaikin, president of Program Board. "It is purely an organization to help others; it is different than anything we've had before because it really is directly impacting lives."
