The Schoolbag

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The Schoolbag is a youth-led nonprofit organization created in March 2010 after the terrible earthquake in Haiti, aiming to help kids to further their education.

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It enables children to pursue an education by providing eco-sustainable school supplies to young people in need. Raising awareness about the lack of access to education around the world, each bag contains adequate materials for one student to learn for one year. The Schoolbag features environmentally sustainable and ethically produced tools and materials to initiate stewardship and active citizenry.

The Schoolbag concept was generated by a Haitian teacher and came into being as a result of meaningful consultation that included teachers, students, parents, NGOs, government officials, and the Haitian people, regardless of class. We do not want to be "just another NGO", and thus stressed such a collaborative conception and development process rooted in relevance and need.

Lack of access to, or availability of, satisfactory school supplies and materials prohibits many children from learning.

Acquisition of knowledge is the first step on the path to global sustainability, prosperity, and world peace; innovation and progress stem from education, a universal right. The Schoolbag allows students to further their studies, particularly those living in disaster or conflict-stricken areas or chronic poverty.

Literally, The Schoolbag is a tote bag filled with school supplies, but as an organization, it represents hope.

Everyone agrees on the need to improve access to education, but too few act. We refuse to give the shrug of inevitability, so we have set out to address the cause of this troubling inequity. The Schoolbag is not the almighty answer, but it is a solution that empowers young people, preparing them with the tools to become innovative, progressive members of a prosperous and sustainable society. With a Schoolbag, students become active agents of change, rather than passive recipients of charity goods.

Education, youth and environment are our passions. Through The Schoolbag, we have found a way to unite them all.

Growing year after year, 45,000 school kits have been distributed in Haiti, South Africa and East Timor since 2010.

Our next big delivery will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2013.

 

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