January • 2022
globalheroes.com
WASTE INTO WEALTH: Thunder Bay Sisters Use Fashion for Good “Every piece of clothing is touched by another life.” us bring our vision to life, but we always wanted to bring production Ungalli is on a mission to change to Canada,” Hailey recalls. “With the way people think about cloth- the help of a very generous grant ing. In today’s changing world, from Canadian Geographic the pressure to buy new clothes, Magazine, we were able to whether to be on-trend or for the finally bring the entirety of our thrill of owning something new, production home.” is underlined by a dark truth: the The sisters opened a retail store fashion industry is one of the most in their hometown of Thunder polluting industries in the world. Bay and operated their business Based in Thunder Bay, online. But the impact Ungalli Ontario, sisters Hailey and Bree has made goes past just t-shirts. are fiercely committed to creating By choosing Ungalli, shoppers a new style standard, raising aware- are not just choosing to support ness about the negative impacts of a sustainable brand and ethically the mainstream clothing industry made clothing—they’re choosing while producing a superior, sustain- to support local charities and able alternative. Since its launch in programs that give back to 2013, Ungalli has made incredible the Thunder Bay community. From The Mashkawi-Manidoo strides to create a community Bimaadiziwin Spirit to Soar of environmentally conscious consumers, received praise from Fund, which connects vulnerable Indigenous youth with community all over the country, and recycled programming, to Indigenous over one million bottles to make into clothing. The sisters champion Canadian artists like Emma Forbes, who designed Ungalli’s local in more ways than one: all of Ungalli’s products are ethically Orange Shirt Day collection, made in Canada from recycled and Ungalli places immense power in supporting local. organic materials, and the brand To celebrate Pride Month, makes giving back a priority. In 2011, as the sisters became Ungalli launched the Love is Love collection in collaboration with more aware of the major flaws within the clothing industry, they Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay. Proceeds from the collection felt they had to do more to bring supported the organization’s it to people’s attention. At the time, sustainable materials were Community Micro-Grants, through which community not easy to find, nor was finding members will have the opportunity means of production. to apply for low barrier grants for “We did eventually find a supplies (gender-affirming gear), company in the USA who helped RAYE MOCIOIU
© PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNGALLI CLOTHING
projects (art, support groups), and basic needs (groceries, etc.). The funding supports the GSD (Gender and Sexual Diversity) community in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. Through this initiative, Ungalli donated $1400 to Rainbow Collective of Thunder Bay. “Ungalli is deeply rooted in community and believes in supporting and giving back to the community that supports us. We are also big supporters of the Wake the Giant movement and music festival that supports Indigenous youth that come to Thunder Bay from remote First Nation communities to attend school,” says Bree. “It’s important for us to provide a platform for artists to showcase their talents, work, and message.” That belief is also the driving force behind the Ungalli Collective, a storefront featuring locally made wares and small businesses. The sisters share that the vendors they choose to feature in the collective are not only amazing at what they do, but they also represent a piece of the Thunder Bay community. “When people visit Thunder Bay and come to Ungalli Collective, we want them to feel the love, warmth, and sense of community our small city has to offer. Ungalli started as a small kiosk in a mall, so as a company, we want to provide an opportunity
© JAMIE DAWN PHOTOGRAPHY
for other small businesses to grow and have their start.” Throughout the pandemic, Ungalli expanded their impact, starting the “Support the Makers” grant to offer a helping hand to struggling small businesses and creatives. “We wanted to make sure they felt some love from their community, and we wanted to make sure they knew they weren’t alone,” shares Bree. One lucky recipient received the $500 grant, and three others were selected to be featured in The Ungalli Collective as local vendors. Over the past two years, Ungalli has experienced a large increase in demand right across Canada for customized merchandise. The clothing company offers custom screenprinting on its sustainably and ethically made clothing products. The demand for their custom screen-printed tees, which they produce for businesses, charities, organizations, and more, has grown, and the brand is happy to accommodate it. As the sisters describe it, organizations order hundreds (or thousands!) of t-shirts at a time. By replacing traditionally manufactured t-shirts with sustainably and ethically produced shirts, the environmental impact is substantial. Ungalli is one of the only companies in Canada that
offers this kind of service on sustainable clothing. This summer, Ungalli partnered with Superior Screen Printing to create an 8,000 square-foot warehouse, retail, and production space. “After a year of searching for the perfect space, Ungalli couldn’t be more excited about this new location. This is an amazing site, and we are inspired by the nostalgia of the old Port Arthur movie theater that we plan to keep alive as part of our design. We feel motivated to help grow and revitalize this downtown neighborhood with some new friends and continue to live up to our mission of sustainability,” says Hailey. From a small kiosk in a mall to a new retail store and warehouse space, Ungalli’s growth has made an impressive impact. To date, Ungalli is proud to have saved 5,076,312 days of drinking water, avoided 124,423 km of driving emissions, and recycled 1,169,242 PET bottles. As Ungalli continues to grow and expand its product line, the sisters want to share that the smallest changes can have a big impact when it comes to building a sustainable wardrobe! “It’s not about replacing your entire wardrobe with sustainable clothing and throwing everything else out. It’s about a shift in your mindset and buying only what you need.”
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Watering the Seeds of Change in South Sudan “I was just 11 years old when I was forced to flee my village. I became one of 17,000 “Lost Boys” of Sudan, who fled the country’s southern region during Sudan’s two-decade civil war,” says Water for South Sudan (WFSS) founder Salva Dut. At age 16, Salva led 1,500 Lost Boys from Ethiopia to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where they lived for several years. In 1996, Salva was given the opportunity to come to the U.S., arriving in Rochester, NY, with little grasp on the language, no formal education, but a determination to make a living for himself. When he learned his father was gravely ill, he traveled back to southern Sudan to reunite with him. “In 2002, I returned to Sudan to visit my father and learned he was suffering from a waterborne disease,” Salva recalls. “It gave me a goal. I came back to the U.S. and founded Water for South Sudan, Inc. in Rochester, NY.”
His immediate plan was to drill a well for his father’s village, so he began by mobilizing a committed group of Rochesterians and established a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2003. By 2005, they were able to drill the well in his father’s village—but they knew their work was far from done. More than 5.1 million people in South Sudan live without clean water. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011 after fighting the longest and deadliest civil war in Africa. With firearms left in the hands of civilians, tribes fight over grazing lands, water points, and cattle-raiding adding to the country’s struggles. Still the world’s youngest country, South Sudan lacks a stable government and basic infrastructure, preventing stable communities and economic growth. This leads to village residents being displaced and forced to live in poor conditions. WFSS realized a desperate need for clean water in southern
Sudan and continued to raise money to grow the organization. Since 2005, WFSS has drilled 505 wells, serving more than 350,000 people. Before WFSS drills a well, these isolated villages often only have access to contaminated water sources. WFSS works with local governments and community leaders to determine the placement of wells. The goal is to create sustainable systems, incorporating well maintenance and training as part of the well installation so that when the time comes, the well can be turned over to the community upon completion. Clean water saves lives, and access to it means communities can improve their overall health, education, and economy. Girls can go to school and women have more opportunities. Through the support of donors worldwide, WFSS can continue to grow and save lives in vulnerable communities. Help water the seeds of change by sponsoring a well or donating to transform lives in South Sudan.
Clean Water Saves Lives! Clean Water Isn’t Just a Lifesaver— It’s a Game-Changer. Your gift will transform lives and build communities in South Sudan.
DONATE AT WATERFORSOUTHSUDAN.ORG
