DRCharity

DRCharity: a big part of how we strive for change

The Enough Project

By giving back via an initiative we call DRCharity, we met our goal this year to partner with an organization whose projects have a successful and meaningful impact on the international community - The Enough Project.

Working with them on their "Raise Hope for Congo" and University campaigns, we help to strengthen the fabric of our culture and communities, here and abroad. In turn we see that we are improving upon ourselves and thus, the very fabrics we offer you, our customers and supporters.

The Creative Director at DRC ApeParel, Eric Ndelo, has learned a lot about walking the talk...

As a youth I was very involved with my local boy scout troop and in my church. We did a lot of mission work all over the U.S., but it wasn't until I went to Mexico in my early 20's that I saw the true vision of helping the international community. Now, as an adult, my driving force is doing what I can to better the lives of the people directly in front of me and in the international community. I encourage anyone who has that gut feeling to help out, to get involved and stay involved. It keeps you energized and it fulfills the soul.

Falling Whistles

When you visit the Fallen Whistles website the first things you'll notice are a whistle and a journal, and then as your eyes centers on where to go from there, you'll see the first tab is labeled STORY. In this case, first impressions are everything.

The Fallen Whistles campaign raises funds and awareness for the travesties happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo by selling whistles. 100% of the funds are used to rehabilitate war-affected children and advocate for their freedom. And by wearing the whistle, you cause people to become curious and are thus given the opportunity to shed light where there is still much darkness.

But, why whistles? When one man's African trek eventually led him to the Congo, he experienced tremendous heartache and grief over the cruelties inflicted on the children there. He kept a journal and recorded the details described to him by the children about their kidnappings, the rebel war camp conditions, forced rape and murder, and ultimately, hope despite lost innocence. One story told about the smallest boys, who were given whistles to blow when the enemy approached, broke him when he learned they were used as first-line-of-defense barricades. But it also filled his well of determination to work for change no matter what.

Fallen Whistles has a tour schedule that looks more like a popular muscian's than an organization working for peace in the Congo, which warms our DRC ApeParel heart. The U.S. is large, in terms of actual land mass and population, and in sharing the same hope for change in the Congo as Fallen Whistles (and many, many other organizations and groups of people around the world) we know that reaching the masses is a crucial element to raising the necessary awareness for that change to happen. One tactic the campaign implements is scheduling unlikely venues for conversations on war-torn Congo, and though unconventional it is where the people are.

Invisible Children & Girl Up!

Invisible Children is a non-profit organization started by three Californian dudes who while traveling in Africa one summer, decided they could make a difference. Like most things, the evolution from that day to today, and a company generating the energy and funding to support six Ugandan-led programs, has been a process. It all started when they realized a massive amount of raw energy and love exists in people around the country who want to make a difference. They asked, how do we capture it?

This type of change is what we at DRC ApeParel envision when we get up in the morning, when we sit down at the office, and when we have a new design inspiration to bring to you.

As we grow and expand our reach, we encourage you to take this journey with us. Connect with us on Facebook, be part of the blog community, chat with us on Twitter. Tell us how we can strengthen our relationship with you and we'll impart things you can do to help bring peace to the Congo and other areas of Africa, like Uganda.

Challenge yourself to be a part of peace by checking out one of the six Invisible Children programs, as well as the Girl Up campaign supported by the United Nations Foundation.

Girl Up connects American girls with girls around the world who are close to the same age. This one-to-one connection not only raises the confidence and spirit of both girls, but the value of communicating across diversity and distance empowers them. The future of peace and prosperity for both countries where these girls live is dependent on what they choose to do with their lives. We need their strength and we need their leadership. Get involved or donate to Girl Up!