2008 Woodie Awards
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
Who knew that a job selling T-shirts through a business fraternity could land a gig with Bono?
Not Andy Mitchelides.
Eight weeks ago Mitchelides, a senior at Miami University, was talking to a friend outside the entrepreneurship office about his former job at a T-shirt company, when instructor of entrepreneurship Brett Smith overheard him. Smith quickly called Mitchelides into his office where he pitched an idea that would not only change Mitchelides' life, but thousands of people's across the world.
Smith explained Edun Live to Mitchelides, a company created in 2005 by Ali Hewson, the wife of U2 singer Bono.
According to Smith, the company manufactures blank, basic T-shirts that are bought to be printed on and sold. The T-shirts are made in Lesotho, Africa, a landlocked country, completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Most of Lesotho's economy revolves around trade with South Africa and because of this, has a particularly weak economy.
However Edun Live's T-shirt orders allow a Lesotho factory to give its workers a living wage - an uncommon practice both in Lesotho and the entire continent of Africa. The goal of Edun Live is to slowly build Lesotho's poor economy. The Edun Live project at Miami buys these T-shirts, then designs, prints, and ships them to costumers.
Right away Mitchelides was hooked.
To promote the group's cause, the Edun Live project held a rally at the Hub and Phi Delt gates Wednesday. They also held a discussion Wednesday in conjunction with Program Board about the situation in Lesotho and Edun Live's efforts. The event was held at Oxford's new bar, Tonic.
The initial creation of the Edun Live project occurred almost overnight.
After a few listserv e-mails, a couple class announcements and just by word of mouth, the social venture team was created. According to Mitchelides, Miami is the pilot school for the Edun Live project. Eventually more universities across the country will be involved, each with their own Edun Live project that Mitchelides and other Miami students will help launch.
Not Andy Mitchelides.
Eight weeks ago Mitchelides, a senior at Miami University, was talking to a friend outside the entrepreneurship office about his former job at a T-shirt company, when instructor of entrepreneurship Brett Smith overheard him. Smith quickly called Mitchelides into his office where he pitched an idea that would not only change Mitchelides' life, but thousands of people's across the world.
Smith explained Edun Live to Mitchelides, a company created in 2005 by Ali Hewson, the wife of U2 singer Bono.
According to Smith, the company manufactures blank, basic T-shirts that are bought to be printed on and sold. The T-shirts are made in Lesotho, Africa, a landlocked country, completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Most of Lesotho's economy revolves around trade with South Africa and because of this, has a particularly weak economy.
However Edun Live's T-shirt orders allow a Lesotho factory to give its workers a living wage - an uncommon practice both in Lesotho and the entire continent of Africa. The goal of Edun Live is to slowly build Lesotho's poor economy. The Edun Live project at Miami buys these T-shirts, then designs, prints, and ships them to costumers.
Right away Mitchelides was hooked.
To promote the group's cause, the Edun Live project held a rally at the Hub and Phi Delt gates Wednesday. They also held a discussion Wednesday in conjunction with Program Board about the situation in Lesotho and Edun Live's efforts. The event was held at Oxford's new bar, Tonic.
The initial creation of the Edun Live project occurred almost overnight.
After a few listserv e-mails, a couple class announcements and just by word of mouth, the social venture team was created. According to Mitchelides, Miami is the pilot school for the Edun Live project. Eventually more universities across the country will be involved, each with their own Edun Live project that Mitchelides and other Miami students will help launch.
