Twice Upon A Dress: Our Story, Our Scholar

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Our Story, Our Scholar

When you have a spare dress in your closet, you may think it is just taking up extra space. Spare dresses became the source for educational support for Nester above. Co-founder of Twice Upon a Dress, Jody Stephenson above, first met Nester in Malawi in 2003 and then followed her though the years below. The first sale of dresses is going toward Nester's secondary education. That support is making a major difference for Nester, not only in the next few years but in the direction of her entire life. Your spare dresses can make this difference on our next trip.

Nester, Ellivet and Eliphaz with Jody Stephenson, 2003

Nester at secondary school, with Jody, 2005

Nester and Luntha, 2010

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Our Story

Founders
Twice Upon A Dress was founded by Jocelyn Kumwenda and Jody Stephenson in 2013. Jocelyn and Jody had been partnering for years to support school fees and other educational expenses for a young girl in Malawi. In the process of her story, they discovered many other young girls and boys who were struggling to achieve their dreams.

Location
In a country where many people live on less than $2 per day, school fees can be too large of a burden to bear. High school in Malawi may cost $35-150 per semester and there are three terms per school year. These fees do not include the cost of transportation to and from school, mandatory uniforms, or expenses for basic necessities or examination fees. As a result, many students stop at Grade 8, leaving them unprepared for employment and life itself. Global unemployment rates for youth are at their highest. Continuing one's education opens doors to opportunities, whether it is in their rural home village or an urban city.

Purpose
Jocelyn and Jody decided to address the need for educational support with abundant existing resources. Many women have out of use dresses in their closets for years that are not given away because each dress comes with a story of a wedding, prom, holiday party or special evening. What if there was a way to remember them and then these dresses were given a chance for a second story? Donated dresses can be featured on our website and will create a promise of a future story, to be worn again, toward new memories. Twice Upon A Dress believes that these dresses not only offer a second life to another wearer but also bring young African scholars closer to completing secondary school and realizing the fullness of their potential.