DROP DEAD X AKIN

Drop Dead are teaming up with clothing company Akin to provide school uniforms for children in the developing world, so that they can receive the education they deserve.

Drop Dead, who have previously worked with local charities in the Sheffield area, were approached by Sheffield born Ben Howells, founder of Akin, about working on the project. In most developing countries it is a legal requirement to wear a uniform to school, but due to families living on just a few dollars a day, something as simple as a school uniform can be out of the question. This results in many children not attending school and therefore missing out on vital education. Astonishingly, around 67 million children are currently unable to attend school due to their family’s income not providing enough for a uniform or basic school supplies.

Drop Dead and Akin have partnered together to raise money to produce uniforms for children in Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s poverty rate has dropped from 22.4% to 21.7% from 2014 to 2015 however the country’s extreme poverty rate rose from 5.8% to 7.2%; the highest recorded rate in the last 60 years. On average poorer Costa Ricans have three years less schooling than their economically stable peers. Within the project the children actively partake in earning their school uniform by contributing to a service project, for example helping plant gardens, painting buildings or cleaning elderly peoples’ homes. Akin will outsource the making of the uniforms within the Costa Rican area therefore also helping the local economy.

Drop Dead have created two ways for everyone to get involved in the project. Firstly you can just simply donate to the project. Secondly you can sign up and send in a blank garment into Drop Dead’s in house print studio to have it printed on the reverse with a randomly selected Drop Dead design. Every donation and sign up will provide one child with a school uniform therefore providing that child with an education. Drop Dead and Akin are donating 100% of the proceeds to the project along with Drop Dead’s Creative Director, Oli Sykes and Akin’s founder, Ben Howells having visited the children and their families in Costa Rica.

If you’d like to get involved please visit www.dropdead.co/pages/akin Or help us spread the word.