Empowering Women in Gulu, Uganda with MODO school of Fashion
In late 2019 Osity was about to launch it’s initial brand campaign and I was looking for a company or organization to partner with to be able to share some of the money that was generated as a part of this campaign. I actually spent a week or more looking through different sites trying to decide what really resonated with me and with what we’re trying to accomplish at Osity. I was looking for a small organization, just starting out that didn’t have a huge voice yet, but huge heart and big ambition. Somebody a lot like us. I could have easily chosen a company like Kiva and selected some different microloans to support, or any number of non-profits. Instead, I happened across a start some good campaign at https://startsomegood.com/modo-school-of-fashion where I learned about Morgan Ginn and Susan Namirimu and their efforts to start a fashion school in Gulu, Uganda.
After reading through their campaign information, I knew this was who we wanted to support. One of the things that caught my eye immediately was their passion for empowering women who have had fewer chances to succeed due to various circumstances. In Uganda, a little over one third of girls drop out of school due to early marriage, and nearly a quarter of them drop out due to pregnancy. The other major issue impacting Uganda is the fact that approximately 70% of the world’s second hand clothing ends up in Eastern Africa. This has had a tremendous effect on the ability for these communities to develop their own industry.
“The fashion industry in Uganda has not had the chance to truly develop due to the immense amount of second-hand clothing dropped in the country every year. This has acted as a major barrier to economic development and job creation for tailors. MODO is working to raise awareness about the 'Made in Uganda' movement and the potential for the development of a booming fashion industry, starting with MODO School of Fashion.” -Morgan Ginn
I am an advocate for empowerment over aid where possible. Anytime you can empower a community or an economy to create for itself, it will have a much more sustainable result. That is exactly what Susan and Morgan are setting out to do with MODO School of Fashion. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them a little bit through this podcast and am looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish in Gulu.
Here are a few photos that Morgan shared to give a sense of their school and Gulu.
