Every child deserves the opportunity to have an education, but for more than 264 million children worldwide that chance is denied for one simple reason – they cannot afford, or do not have access to, a school uniform. In this informative and interesting interview with Aesthetic Insider™, Founder and Director of Uniforms For Hope, Maureen and Dr. Catherine Maloof, share their vision for empowering children from overseas and their mission to help raise these children from extreme poverty by providing school uniforms. This interview touches on their mission, their goals, their community outreach and their fund raising efforts to aid in the dream of providing children worldwide with the chance for an education. To learn more about the Maloof sisters, or to donate, visit www.uniformsforhope.org.
How did you get the idea to start Uniforms For Hope?
Maureen Maoof: Initially we never really thought we would start a non-profit, but we love to travel and have always had a passion to help children. I have traveled to over 43 countries and I always visited schools and orphanages around the world during my travels, and I really connected with the children. My sister (Dr. Catherine Maloof) was always working so much she never really was able to go on any trips, but finally I was able to encourage her to go to Machu Picchu in Peru with me a few years ago. During our time there, we visited a school. We had brought stickers for the children and took snacks and fruit too. The children were so excited to meet us and so thankful to receive these small gifts and their reaction was similar to that of many other countries I had visited. It was really inspiring to us to see children so happy to be at school and when we spoke with one of the teachers she mentioned how difficult it was for children in these poorer regions to be able to attend school because a school uniform was mandatory and many of the villagers couldn’t afford one for their child. After we returned home, that message really stuck with me and I began to do research and found that an estimated 264 million children worldwide do not have the opportunity to get an education, a large reason being that their family cannot afford a school uniform. I began to look for organizations that were helping with this problem, or someone who may be fund raising to help these kids, and found nothing. After months of research I realized a uniform can save a life if a child gets an education, and that an education may be their only way out of poverty. As a result I decided to begin the process of starting a non-profit foundation and brought Uniforms For Hope into being.
Dr. Catherine Maloof: That trip to Peru was transformational for me because I had never taken that type of vacation before. I threw stickers in my suitcase at the last minute, and when we handed them out to the children I felt like a rock star! We were surrounded by so many children that were so excited to meet us and learn from us that it was really inspirational to me. One of the young girls got so excited when I told her I was a chiropractor that she drew a picture of a spine and the organs in the body telling me that she too wanted to be a doctor one day. I have lectured at many schools in the USA and have never seen the enthusiasm for an education like I saw that day in Peru and I just knew that when Maureen and I returned home we had to do something to help these children get the education they deserve.
Where else have you traveled in the world that has made a difference to you?
Maureen Maloof: I’ve been to a lot of countries including Egypt, Hong Kong, Morocco, China, Tibet, Portugal, and Nepal and have realized that in many of these countries the school situation is the same. Children have aspirations and hopes and dreams which really begins with being able to receive an education. We are now working with many different countries and of particular interest to us at the moment is the work we are doing in Kenya and the Congo.
Dr. Catherine Maloof: We are really excited to be of help to the girls in Kenya. Maureen and I met Rose Sakuda at a ladies’ meeting. Rose grew up in a small Maasai village in Kenya, and had been abused as a child. In her village, if a girl is not attending school by the age of 11 or 12 they will most likely be married off to a man aged 50 to 70 who already has multiple wives and children. Not wanting this for the girls in her village, Rose started a small school just for them. Some of the girls actually live there and get their meals there also. It is Rose’s intent to provide these girls with an education so they will be free and able to work for a living, rather than be married off. A uniform is all it takes to get these girls to school and away from a life of abuse and potential sex trafficking. We are also helping children in the Congo through a chance meeting of a couple from the Congo who attended Vanguard University here in California. After University they felt a passion to go back to the Congo and help children. They started a leadership academy to create leaders in the community and through Uniforms For Hope those children have been given uniforms too.
Besides Kenya and the Congo, what other countries are you working with to supply uniforms?
Maureen Maloof: We have also helped bring uniforms to four small villages in Uganda where an organization we found had started a school in each village, as well as Lebanon, Cambodia and Tanzania.
Dr. Catherine Maloof: It is important to mention that we work with the people on the ground in these countries so we can be certain that all the money we raise for uniforms actually goes straight to the source it is intended for.
Would you say the “school uniform” is doing more than teaching these children in developing countries how to read and write?
Maureen Maloof: Yes. Of course, reading and writing and education is our number one goal, but it is also a way out of extreme poverty, its empowering young women and men, it can help avert domestic violence and trafficking, and helps give these kids a future. Each school uniform is different and is almost like a brand in the village as other children that are not attending school are seeing the uniform and wishing they could go to school to. A school uniform is a status symbol to a better life and a symbol of optimism and aspiration. We recently helped a school in Lebanon and we were thrilled to hear the story of a young boy who offered up his school sweater to another child so they could attend school. He told us when he arrived at school that day there was a young boy sitting outside crying because his grandmother was still saving money to buy his uniform and that the school couldn’t let him in without it. So the boy gave him his sweater to wear until he could have one of his own. The boy thought he would get into trouble when he got home realizing the value of his uniform and the fact that he had just loaned part of it, but his mother was very understanding and encouraging of her son’s efforts to give this other child a chance.
Dr. Catherine Maloof: As we mentioned earlier, each school has a different style and color of uniform so at Uniforms For Hope we don’t just buy off-the-shelf uniforms and mail them to these countries, the money raised by us goes to the people on the ground who teach the girls or bring in local women to sew the uniforms. It’s actually creating a small free enterprise as well as encouraging entrepreneurship and is empowering these young women, as well as local women and widows. Rose who founded the Kenya school had previously rescued a young girl named Beatrice when she was orphaned at the age of 11. Beatrice is now head of the girl’s school in Kenya and works to keep the local women busy and earning a living with various school endeavors including the making of the uniforms.
Are you able to encourage children in the USA to be involved with Uniforms For Hope?
Maureen Maloof: Actually yes. From the start we began speaking at schools about the dreams and aspirations of the children we are providing uniforms to in developing countries and the students here have been very supportive. My first lecture was to 900 local high school students who actually started a Uniforms For Hope Club where they raise money for the children worldwide. They pick a country they want to support and then do their own fund raisers. It’s a great way to make sure our kids here are appreciating what they have and it also makes them feels good about themselves and their charitable efforts.
How would a school reach out to you to have you speak to their students?
Dr. Catherine Maloof: School principals and teachers are welcome to contact us through our website, www.uniformsforhope.org. We are based in Orange County, California so we can do in-person lectures locally. With virtual conferencing being so popular, we are also both available to do speaking engagements via Zoom or other video platforms. The students actually love it and it really makes them feel like they are giving back too. We have found that it also helps some of them appreciate how easy it is for them to go to school here in the USA, and with the USA high school drop out rate edging close to 50%, we feel our speaking efforts and their involvement could be helpful there too.
What is the Uniforms For Hope 49ers Club?
Dr. Catherine Maloof: The average cost of a uniform is $49 so we began what we call The Uniforms For Hope 49ers Club. For some people spending $49 on lunch or dinner, or a few weeks of morning coffee runs, is easy. The cost of these little luxuries adds up so fast and when you stop to think that $49 could actually change the life of a child in a developing country simply by giving them a uniform so that they can go to school and get an education, well it just makes sense. By donating $49 each month by the end of one year that monthly donation has changed the life of 12 young people and again, all donations go directly to the source with the aim of helping these children better their lives through education. One person really can make a difference.
Who is on the Board of Uniforms For Hope and what are its current fund raising goals?
Maureen Maloof: Our main goal is always to raise money to buy uniforms. We have a wonderful Board of Directors and everybody volunteers, and none of us are paid members. That way all the financial donations that people make go toward the cost of the uniforms. All the money we receive goes to the cause. I actually started the non-profit myself and funded its inception. We have done well so far with private donations and are now seeking corporate sponsorships so we can double and triple our efforts. We have done everything from birthday fundraisers, fitness fundraisers, you name it we have done it. We think that there are many socially responsible company donors and we are now seeking support from that realm.
The Uniforms For Hope Board of Directors:
Maureen Maloof, Founder
Dr. Catherine Maloof, Director
Will Blackman, Director
Cheri Callahan, Director
John Carlson, Director
Heatherdawn Waleigh, Director
To learn more about The Uniforms Board of Directors CLICK HERE!
To listen to the full interview with the Maloof Sisters at Aesthetic Insider™ Radio, CLICK HERE!
To learn more about Uniforms For Hope and to set up a speaking engagement, host a fundraiser or donate, visit www.uniformsforhope.org.
Listen to the Uniforms For Hope theme song “Love Around The World” written by Dr. Catherine Maloof and sung by children in Cambodia and Lebanon. CLICK HERE!
