Stylish, sensible and charitable. Doesn’t get much better than that, now does it? Well, thanks to Ed. Bags you can now boost education in developing countries when purchasing one of their colorful, eco-friendly bags.
Ed. Bags, brought to you by Ed. Projects, “believes that the power of a higher education can now forever break the cycle of poverty in developing countries.”
For each bag sold, 100 percent of the funds go to students in these countries.
The bags obviously don’t get made by themselves, but are handmade by fair wage artisans in Rwanda. The genocide in Rwanda in 1994 left many women without any way to provide for their families. Each Ed. Bag design is limited to 125 bags per design. There will never ever be a similar bag after one design is sold out. Ever.
So not only do the bags support students, but lend a hand towards the creators. These women work in a safe and empowering environment, providing a better future for themselves and their families.
From all the proceeds, Ed. Projects loans funds to students at 0 percent. Over the course of a few years, 100 percent of the cost is reinvested.
To see how it all works, here is an example:
• Consumer purchases an Ed. bag for $27
• Ed. Projects invests $5 in Juan in Bolivia to get his welding certificate
• Juan finishes school and gets a job
• Juan pays back his loan
• Ed. Projects receives Juan’s repayments
• Ed. Projects invest the same $5 in Honore in Rwanda to finish his degree in
Tourism Management
It is a continuous cycle of investing in a student’s education and a never-ending cycle of student loans.
Just think, all by buying a bag and carrying it to the grocery store or to work or to school you can help students receive higher learning.
-Allyson Koerner
Photo Credit: Ed. Bags
