Meet Josephine.
Josephine is a student at Kameji Primary School & a recipient of a GYB uniform. She is currently in the 8th grade (her final year of primary school). Josephine is an exceptionally bright student who not only scores in the top of her school, but has some of the highest scores in the entire location, which consists of 13 primary schools in her hometown of Lwala, Kenya. In a community where girls often don't even complete primary school due to lack of importance placed on girl's education, lack of uniform, and being over burdened by household chores, it is particularly impressive that she is scoring higher than many of the boys in the community.

Josephine not only faces the typical challenges that other girls in the community face, she was also orphaned by her father when he passed from AIDS and often must care for her mother who regularly falls ill. Josephine lives at home with her mother and two younger siblings who she must help out with as well. Despite all of these challenges, she has continued to strive to continue on in her education.

Josephine says that being given a new school uniform has allowed her to continue attending school on a regular basis even though her mother could not afford one for her. She attributes the greater amount of time she is able to spend at school and in class with how she has been able to reach such high scores. At the end of the year, her scores will make her eligible to apply for a high school scholarship in Kenya which will allow her to continue her education even though her family cannot afford the cost of high school. We are proud to support Josephine and help her on her journey to ultimately reach her goal of becoming a lawyer one day.

Would you like to help girls just like Josephine see their dreams become reality? It all starts with a school uniform. Get involved by making a simple donation today.

In July 2011, I travelled to N.W. Haiti on a vision trip for Got Your Back. Typically, these trips are used to gather invaluable information concerning the problems, challenges & any hurdles we may potentially face in any new area we are planning to work in. I’ve been on a bunch of these types of trips before and I’d been to Haiti before, but this was my first time to the N.W. Region. 



Now, typically, these trips are pretty straightforward. You visit some schools, meet headmasters & teachers, interview potential tailors, conduct various levels of community assessments, work through some logistics with the on-ground partner, meet a lot of locals, and hug a ton of kids. This trip really wasn’t any different in that regard.

I’ve been on multiple trips to 3rd World Countries and I’ve certainly been exposed to many forms of extreme poverty. There’s not too much I’m shocked by, no matter where I go. But something about this trip was different. Something got me... and no it wasn’t malaria.

As you may know, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. It’s remained in a constant state of arrested development for almost two centuries. The entire country was in shambles long before the now famous earthquake and to this date many are still forced to live in tents. The earthquake not only compounded problems and added additional strain on the already struggling infrastructure, but it also did something very important. It raised the visibility of a struggling country and projected Haiti to the forefront of the public eye… even if only for a few short moments.

The N.W. Region of Haiti is the poorest part of Haiti, which makes it the poorest place this side of the planet. Many would even argue that this area is THE poorest place on earth. It’s difficult to travel throughout this region due to poorly unmarked roads or lack thereof. The whole area is somewhat isolated from access to materials, goods, and common necessities for life. Needless to say, I knew I’d be facing something new, something unique.

During my time there, I bounced all over the area. I visited numerous communities, villages and towns. I interviewed a large number of women for tailoring jobs, visited potential partner schools and never slept in the same town more than once. Our on-ground partner, Help Heal Haiti/NWHCM, has been active in the N.W. for more than 30 years and they themselves have programs in over 35 communities throughout the region.  It was vital that I was exposed to a wide range of locations so I could gather as much information as possible to help establish a solid strategy for our expansion into this area.

The Haitian people are resilient and unshaken. They are predominately young, ambitious and determined. 42% are 14 years old or younger. Yet, 50% of all school-aged children are not enrolled in school. 30% of kids will never make it past the 3rd Grade and 60% will never make it past the 6th. 1 out of every 3 girls past the age of 6 years old will NEVER even attend school at all.


Any way that you look at it, those numbers are alarming.

Education is VITAL to Haiti’s economic growth & long-term sustainability. I’m excited that we have the ability to provide a life-changing opportunity for the children of Haiti. Access to school, through the provision of school uniforms, is the pathway towards a hopeful, sustainable future.

The reason this trip was different for me from many others before it, was because, for the first time, I experienced the intangible properties of an attribute I had often only read about and rarely caught mere glimpses of before. I witnessed firsthand the hope that is alive in the youth of Haiti, even amongst those in the most extreme of situations.

In N.W. Haiti, although it’s shrouded in a darkened cloud of poverty, hope lives. Hope transcends problems and lights a pathway through the darkness. Hope silences naysayers and breaks down walls. Hope perseveres in trials and thrives in despair. This hope is the light that will drive the darkness of poverty away from Haiti forever.

Our on-ground partner is the largest N.G.O. (Non-Government Organization) in all of N.W. Haiti. Alongside them, over the upcoming years, we will have the ability to affect tens of thousands of children’s lives and radically change Haiti forever.

I hope that you will join us in the movement to make education possible for every child in N.W. Haiti.

-Will Hill - Executive Director

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Alternative Apparel. Alternative is the industry-leading fashion basics brand known best for its unparalleled comfort and quality craftsmanship. Together we have created a brand new 'Show Love' shirt printed exclusively on Alternative's Eco-Heather 1973 Short Sleeve Crew Shirt.

“Millions of children around the world do not have access to an education, simply because they cannot afford school uniforms,” said Alternative CEO Evan Toporek. “By partnering with the Got Your Back Movement, our goal is to offer a pathway for children to gain an education and a chance at pursuing a better, safer and healthier life.”

Currently this design is offered in Eco-Red & Eco-Blue. As always, with every shirt purchased, we provide a school uniform to a child in need, in turn granting children across the world access to education.

Join us in the movement to make education possible for every child!

Recently, we were approached by Litten Johnson, a student at Westmount Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada about ways that she could support us. We plug her in with our shirt for shirt campaign, sent her some sample shirts and within a week, she mobilized some of her friends (Nino Demirovic, Erin Burley, Jasmine Apap, Sarah Gamble, Emily Foster and Fareeza Ahmed) and together they sold nearly 100 shirts to peers in their school. Last semister, each of these students were a part of their school's "Social Justice" course, which prompted them to action. When they found out about GYB it was a easy choice to get involved. 

Through our shirt for shirt campaign, with every shirt we sell, we provide a school uniform to a child in need. We're so proud to have incredible people like Litten join with us in the movement to make education possible for every child.

Are you a student that wants to support GYB on your campus? Drop us an email at info@gybmovement.org

Lynchburg, VA

A local 4th grade school teacher decided that this year, instead of just another in-class Christmas party, that she would give her students a gift that would have a life-changing impact, as well as, teach them a valuable lesson along the way. Her idea... Buy a Got Your Back t-shirt for all of her 4th grade students.

"Every year," she said,"I try to encourage my students to look beyond themselves. Christmas is about giving back. I knew that Got Your Back was a great way to teach my students this important principle. I explained to my students how, through the purchase of each Got Your Back t-shirt, a complete school uniform was being given to another child in a country where uniforms are a big financial hurdle for families."

In addition to the gift she gave each child, she also showed some of the Got Your Back videos in class, wrote a letter to every parent explaining who Got Your Back was, and used the t-shirt's slogan as a quick teaching tool. 

"The words are so powerful," she explained. "I got to share with my class exactly how their new t-shirt was 'Restoring Purpose, Giving Hope, & Showing Love.' It was truly amazing to see how they connected with this concept. My classroom here in Virginia has now proudly helped a new classroom of kids, somewhere else in the world, have a chance at an education."

You too can join the movement to make education possible for every child. We encourage you to come up with a creative campaign just like the one listed above. Together, we will make a huge impact in the lives of children around the world.

Do you already have a story like this? Send us a message at info@gybmovement.org

We are thrilled to announce that Oh My Deer, a custom handmade paper goods company based in Nashville, TN, is now offering a special set of holiday cards entitled "Tis the season of Mercy". All proceeds from these Mercy cards will go to right to us! Spread the holiday cheer this season while supporting the Got Your Back Movement.

- Set of five "Tis the season of Mercy" cards, blank inside
- Five matching envelopes crafted out of 100% post consumer waste
- Neatly nestled within a kraft board box whose base is also 100% recycled

Click here to order http://www.etsy.com/listing/62378194/tis-the-season-of-mercy-set-of-five

The very talented artist Adam Hall has a new collection entitled "Light The Sky" that will be featured for the month of September at Robert Lange Studios in downtown Charleston, SC.

Adam is donating 25% of all sales from this collection to the Got Your Back Movement.