Style Her Empowered (S H E) has provided school uniforms to more than 215 girls in Notsé, Togo, as part of its mission to fund and support education. The Boise- and Notsé-based nonprofit operates on the knowledge that “providing school uniforms is actually one of the most cost-effective ways to keep girls in school in the developing world,” as founder Payton McGriff puts it.

DESIGNING THE UNIFORMTHAT GROWS

During the first year of sponsorships, S H E provided uniforms to 65 students; however, girls outgrew their uniforms halfway through the year. As Payton thinks back, “even if they could afford a uniform at the beginning of the year, the fact that they could outgrow that at any point continued to threaten their education.”

So, Payton took this problem to a student in the University of Idaho’s design program. The requirements? The uniform must be comfortable, durable and adjustable.

Soon after, Payton and the design student sent the first prototype to the S H E team in Togo. The uniform, though, had a fastener that the youngest students, six and seven years old, didn’t know how to tie. It was back to the drawing board.

Payton worked to develop this uniform, but she was juggling the many other aspects of S H E’s educational programs. She needed a way to find focus with her project. So, Payton looked to Because International to help her “have clarity with her vision” of the S H E uniforms that grow.

LEARNING FROM THE BECAUSE ACCELERATOR

Payton became one of the first participants in the Because Accelerator, a free online training program designed to support entrepreneurs with ideas for life-changing products.

While in the Accelerator, Payton worked alongside many Because team members, depending on what aspect of the uniforms she was working on.

“From the beginning, it was very top level, like ‘what are you trying to do, and is this part of that goal?’” Payton says that, from the big picture to the small details, working with Because helped narrow the focus of S H E and create more tangible goals. She says that she felt encouraged to “nail it down” and “really scale things to where they are productive.”

During the cohort, Payton and her team sent a second prototype of the uniform to Togo, gathering more valuable feedback. After more back-and-forth, the S H E team finalized a uniform that “grows six sizes and up to 12 inches in length,” Payton says.

TODAYS UNIFORM THAT GROWS

Now, not only can S H E provide a uniform to each student, but they can also be sure that the girls will fit the uniforms comfortably and will continue their education throughout each year. In addition to sizing, S H E is innovating other features of the uniform and its production to benefit girls and women in Togo.

S H E is using antibacterial and anti-odor fabric, so that the uniforms can go longer between washes, which will save time gathering water for laundry. During the first round of production of these uniforms that grow this year, S H E will work to source a textile maker local to Togo or the West Africa region. They will also source the buttons locally.

The leftover uniform fabric will be shredded and sewn into reusable menstrual pads, which will both reduce the waste of the uniform production and better support girls through their menstrual cycle.

Because International’s guidance throughout the Accelerator guided her to make the uniform lasting, sustainable, and foundational to what S H E does. Payton also said that the training provided her with the confidence to launch the S H E uniform that grows. She says, “They’ll challenge you to think differently.”

“Do it! Absolutely,” Payton says of the program. “It’s hands-on, it’s actually adding value. I can’t stress enough how much of a difference this has made, not just for our organization but for me personally.”

The Because Accelerator is a completely free online training and mentorship program for entrepreneurs who have product-focused ideas and business in areas impacted by poverty.