A BACKPACK WITH A BACKSTORY
This is no ordinary backpack. Developed by the former Design Director for The North Face, it is loaded with high-end features like durable ballistic nylon and tons of organizational pockets.
But none of that is what makes it special. What makes this backpack special is the women who make it — graduates of St. Monica’s Tailoring School in Gulu, Uganda.
These women have a unique and powerful story. They were captured as children by the warlord Joseph Kony and forced to become child soldiers in his rebel army. When they ultimately came out of captivity, often bearing the children of their captors, more than 2,000 of them were taken in by a Ugandan nun named Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe (CNN Hero, TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People”). Recognizing it was too late to give them a full education, Sister Rosemary formed the Tailoring School to train them in practical skills to support themselves and their children.
GULU Made is now launching with a bold mission: To make great backpacks and bags that create thriving and sustainable jobs for the women of St. Monica’s. Through their training, these women have transformed themselves into highly skilled artisans. But they need a market for their skills.
Now, as the women of GULU Made, they make the great backpacks we are featuring here, infusing them not only with quality craftsmanship and luxurious materials, but with a story of resilience and redemption that we believe you will want to be a part of.
But make no mistake: This is no charity backpack. This is a beautifully designed and sturdy product built to withstand years of wear — and to look great doing it. We guarantee it.
The GULU Backpack is strong, resilient, and full of heart and soul . . . just like the women who make it.
So join us on this adventure by investing in a Limited First Edition backpack from GULU Made today.
Don’t just carry a backpack . . . carry a story.
Backpacks expected to ship in March 2020.
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About GULU Made
GULU Made is new company with a bold mission: To make great products that create thriving and sustainable jobs for the graduates of St. Monica’s Tailoring School in Gulu, Uganda. We bring together high design, high quality and high purpose to deliver beautiful backpacks and bags that our customers can be proud to carry. Good products for good people.
The greatest risk we see with this project is our ability to deliver by the projected March 2020 date. Purchasing fabric in Asia, moving it to Africa, then manufacturing the bags and shipping them to the US create the potential for surprises along the way. That being said, we have already worked through all of these details with fabric suppliers, international shippers, etc., so we are quite confident we will hit those dates. It is also worth noting that since the shipment date is the greatest risk we see, we do not see any real risk related to the product itself, either its design, its manufacturability or its quality. The design has already been finalized and has been fully vetted for patterning and manufacturability. And of course, we already know that the women of GULU are amazing with a sewing machine.