Aussie retailer, designer team up to tackle human trafficking

Internet Retailing

5th Oct 2017

Online retailer and t-shirt brand, Citizen Wolf, and fashion designer, Steven Khalil, are working to raise awareness of the problem of human trafficking and slavery.

Together, they have created an exclusive t-shirt for Project Futures, an Australian not-for-profit that educates the public about these issues and works to end modern slavery through independence and employment initiatives.

The t-shirt will retail for $99 on the Project Futures website and will be ready for delivery from 13 November.

One hundred per cent of profits will go directly to helping end modern slavery and cover a range of services from medical treatment to psychological service, according to Clare Pearson, CEO of Project Futures.

“One t-shirt equates to one bicycle for a child to independently attend school each day which means opportunities for future independence and employment,” she said.

“Five t-shirts cover all resources for the outreach program for one month, providing soap, education and food to women and children living in circumstances of homelessness and sexual exploitation.”

Pearson said she chose to work with Citizen Wolf, an online casual lifestyle brand based in Melbourne, for its strong focus on the fair treatment of workers across the entire supply chain.

Citizen Wolf’s t-shirts are made from organically grown-cotton from India and knitted in Melbourne. The charity t-shirt was also designed, cut, sewn and screen printed in Sydney using organically certified water-based inks.

Pearson said consumers can be confident that their purchase not only transforms the lives of those affected by slavery and exploitation in Australia and Cambodia, but also promotes environmental sustainability and better working conditions for the people involved in its creation.

Since Project Futures was founded in 2009 by Stephanie Lorenzo, it has helped improve the quality of life for women and children who were previously at the hands of oppressors.

The not-for-profit organisation provided over 70 English Language training sessions, 438 clinical counselling sessions in and over 3,000 nights of safe refuge in 2016.

In a statement about the t-shirt launch, Project Futures said modern slavery is the fastest-growing crime industry in the world today, with over 45.8 million people currently enslaved.

“Partnering up with Project Futures to design a tee that would raise awareness for such an important issue was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” Steven Khalil said.

“This issue affects not only Australians but women and children all over the world and it’s great to be part of something that’s dedicated to helping them.”