Every time Rachel Christine Vreeman was in Kenya she found herself wearing clothes made from the Kenyan traditional kitenge fabric. When the Director of Research for the Indiana University Center for Global Health was moved by the status of children living with HIV in Kenya, it was only right she created The Pocket Square Project

rachel_and_dom_-_founders_

This initiative is purposively designed to help raise funds for Kenyan children who have been diagnosed with HIV. In collaboration with attorney Dominique Price, the project creates bow ties and pocket squares made from the traditional kitenge material. Designed with the help of paid Kenyan volunteers, Rachel takes the accessories to U.S for them to be sold.

traditional kitenge

pocket_square

Her business partner Dominique Price said that…

”From the fashion perspective I saw a lot of people and designers using different cultures as part of fashion lines. I think Ralph Lauren used kind of Native American motifs in one of his lines. I thought that was interesting and people like that kind of thing. I think the idea that we are using this Kitenge fabric that’s an important part of the Kenyan culture and the proceeds are going back to Kenya. It’s threading awareness, knowledge and raises funds all together and brings attention to these issues.”

pocket_square_1

pocket_square_2

 

So far the proceeds from the project have been used to pay for a fifteen team soccer tournament for the impending World AIDS Day in Kenya and a travelling psychiatrist to meet up with the targeted children

rachel vreeman owner_and_founder

 

Spotted @ nuvo.net

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