Designing Hope has established a distribution program of school uniforms for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in southern Africa.

Support our latest crowdfunding campaign to support 300 children by clicking below:

  • School uniforms, a significant expense

In southern Africa, the school system is based on Anglo-Saxon countries. Also, school uniforms by their color, reflect the identity of each school and are compulsory for all students until the end of high school.

Designing Hope has always been confroncted to this issue when supporting HIV and AIDS affected patients:
AIDS orphans are generally hosted by relatives of the deceased parents, increasing the number of members these “extended families”, especially in the most disadvantaged communities.

The additional cost of hosting one or several child becomes substential for low resources households, particularly when the hosting household is run by a single mother, who also lost her hunsband.

In addition, tuition fees are particularly high compared to the local living standards, and may be up to a month’s average salary, especially because of the cost of the uniform.

  • Easier integration for vulnerable children

By providing school uniforms to the most disadvantaged ones, Designing Hope helps reducing the expenses of the host families and allows a better integration of children in these families.
In addition, having a uniform in good condition eases the integration into the school, as well as the motivation and thus the class attendance of these children.

  • Working closely with local stakeholders

Each year, Designing Hope appoints its partner association Fundzisa Live in Swaziland and Silethithemba in Kwazulu Natal for the selection of children who benefit from this program.
Their members visit different schools in their district, meet teachers, social workers and heads of institutions to establish the list of the most needy students and pupils for this program.
The records are then discussed, and a list of beneficiaries is established, specifying the size and color of each uniform.

  • Income generating activity for women

Thanks to this project of distribution of school uniforms to the poorest, Designing Hope also supports the women living from this activity: Sewing uniforms is an income-generating activity for women of Fundzisa Live association.
In 2010, with the support of Keit, a fashion company, Designing Hope has funded a sewing training for 15 women. They have learned to fully realize models of girl’s tunics commonly used in local schools, as well as shirts for boys.
A sewing room has also been set up in the premises of the association. Today, women can sew clothes and sell them through supply contracts with schools.

Click here to learn more about the income generating activity generated by the uniform project

A project supported by Keit Agency & Lanvin
with the contribution in 2016 of 60 individual donors from KissKissBankBank fundraising


  • discover below the history and the latest news of this project

Embroidery of school uniform logos

Embroidery of school uniform logosThanks to the purchase of a professional embroidery machine, the women of the Malanti Garden of Skills in Eswatini now have access to new opportunities for their work. There are very few companies in the country … Read More

Making pants with the sewing workshop at the Garden of skills, Eswatini

Among the new patterns provided by the Keit company are also the pants for the boys’ uniform. This is a difficult production to set up as the pants are more classic (gray for all schools) and therefore it is difficult … Read More

First cycle of training in sewing and uniform making at the Garden of skills, Eswatini

The Garden of skills includes a sewing workshop to train women from the community of Malanti, and women identified at the Piggs Peak Hospital, of which Dessine l’Espoir is a partner. The first round of sewing training began with a … Read More

Sewing and distribution of school uniforms in Malanti

The women of Malanti, newly trained in sewing at the Garden of Skills, made 40 uniforms that were distributed to vulnerable children in the two schools close to the centre. This was an opportunity for the people of Malanti to discover … Read More

Maintenance of machines for sewing course at the Garden of Skills, Eswatini

As part of its “Uniform and Difference” program, Designing Hope is preparing for the distribution of uniforms to children in need at two schools in Malanti. Women from the community will be able to benefit from training in the sewing … Read More

Preparation for the sewing course at the Garden of Skills, Eswatini

Futhi and Patricia, the two sewing trainers from Fundzisa Live, a local partner of Designing Hope in Eswatini, are taking over the new sewing workshop in the Garden of Skills. After having the sewing machines serviced, they are now preparing … Read More

Thebe Magugu supports “Uniforms & Differences” 4th edition

Uniforms & Differences is a crowdfunding campaign consists in distributing school uniforms to disadvantaged children in southern Africa to support them in their education. This year edition is organized in association with the exhibition “FIGURES OF FORTITUDE” presenting at Galerie Umcebo … Read More

Veronique Sanson supports Uniforms & Differences

For World AIDS Day on December 1st 2017, Designing Hope received the support of Véronique Sanson for the “Uniforms & Difference” campaign. This project consists of financing the distribution of school uniforms for underprivileged children, most of them AIDS orphans. … Read More

uniforms & differences – 2nd edition with Hello Asso

Uniforms & Differences is a crowdfunding campaign consists in distributing school uniforms to disadvantaged children in southern Africa to support them in their education. Why Southern Africa ? Designing Hope has a 14 years field experience in these three countries. Southern … Read More

Uniforms distribution St Benedict school – Swaziland 2017

Operation Uniformes & Différence funded the distribution of shirts, shoes, trousers, tunics to 360 children in 6 schools in Swaziland, 3 in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. Below is the image distribution at St Paul School in Swaziland.   … Read More

Behvu High School Roosboom – South Africa

Twenty students from SPSS High School in Roosboom benefited from the “Uniforms and Differences” program in 2017, some of whom are also beneficiaries of the Half Way House. The women of Half Way House sewn the tunics for the beneficiary … Read More

Uniforms distribution – Hhohho Ame Primary School, Swaziland – 2017

Operation Uniformes & Différence funded the distribution of shirts, shoes, trousers, tunics to 360 children in 6 schools in Swaziland, 3 in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. Below is the image distribution at Hlohlo Ame Primary School in Swaziland. … Read More

Uniforms distribution – St Paul School, Swaziland – 2017

Operation Uniformes & Différence funded the distribution of shirts, shoes, trousers, tunics to 360 children in 6 schools in Swaziland, 3 in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. Below is the image distribution at St Paul School in Swaziland.   … Read More

School Uniforms distribution at Buhlebezwe school in Roosboom – South Africa

Located about a few blocks away from the daycare  center of Designing Hope in Roosboom, the primary school of Buhlebezwe was a natural partner for the school uniforms project. Moreover, part of  the 20 children benefiting from this project in … Read More

Uniform distribution – St Amadius school – Swaziland – 2017

Uniforms & Differences funded the distribution of shirts, shoes, trousers, tunics to 360 children in 6 schools in Swaziland, 3 in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. Below is the image distribution at St Amadius School in Swaziland.   Sbungumusa, … Read More

Uniforms distribution – Nginamadvolo Primary School, Swaziland – 2017

Operation Uniformes & Différence funded the distribution of shirts, shoes, trousers, tunics to 360 children in 6 schools in Swaziland, 3 in South Africa and one in Zimbabwe. Below is the image distribution at Nginamadvolo School in Swaziland.     … Read More

Sizakahle School, Roosboom – South Africa

17 students from SPSS ( Sizakahle Secondary School of Roosboom) benefited from the “Uniforms and Differences” program in 2017, some of whom are also beneficiaries of the Half Way House.   The women of Half Way House sewn the tunics … Read More

Uniforms & Differences – 2016 fundraising with KissKissBankBank

This project consists in distributing school uniforms for disadvantaged children in Southern Africa (South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe).   Designing Hope has a 13 years field experience in these three countries. Southern Africa is indeed one of the HIV & AIDS … Read More