There are so many answers I could give, but I think the best “why” is because I’m a Mom. In 2009 I went on my first mission trip to Kabale, Uganda. Being from Southern WV, I was no stranger to American poverty. But what I saw on that trip were things beyond my American comprehension. An entire school where more than half of the children had never owned a pair of shoes, where all children walk 2-4
hours each day to fetch water that, quite frankly, most of us wouldn’t even offer our pets. There was no electricity, no running water, and most children are lucky to get one meal a day. Startlingly, 66% will never finish elementary school, resigning them to a life of povery. Yet, I saw children and adults who were more joyful than most people I know, who were happy and still thanked God for simply being alive, despite their circumstances. I knew that I could never come back to the U.S. and be the same. I knew I would never again be able to sleep at night if I did not do something about what I saw. So I did. In 2014, I founded Rukundo International, a nonprofit dedicated to providing educational opportunities, healthcare and nutrition, community-based support, and hope to orphans and other underprivileged and at-risk children and their extended families in Kabale, Uganda. Rukundo means love in the native, tribal language. At the end of the day, spreading love is really what we are about, particularly God’s love. I put on my first Cassie on May 3, 2016 and it was another moment when I knew my life could never be the same….I needed more Cassie’s! And some Irma’s to match! And leggings for winter… But how could I justify spending $35 on a skirt, when $35 can sponsor a child for an entire month? The wheels began turning…. My nonprofit is entirely volunteer-run in the U.S., so we can ensure almost 100% of the donations go directly to our cause. This means that I still work a full-time job. So I have two full-time jobs- one that pays the bills, and one that fulfills my passion of giving back to the One who gave His all for me. It’s a huge responsibility, and to be entirely transparent, it’s often exhausting. At times my mind wanders, thinking about the life I could be living if I devoted the 35 hours a week that I work “for free” to a for-profit endeavor. And that’s how my LuLaRoe business plan developed. I realized that with LuLaRoe I could marry my plans to build a school for orphans in Uganda to my LuLaRoe business. I could offer women the opportunity to purchase a Cassie skirt, knowing that 100% of the proceeds from that skirt would go towards helping others. I realized that I can empower women in the U.S. with clothing that makes them feel great, while still giving back to those who could never dream of owning a new skirt, much less one that costs $35 - more than a month’s salary for the average household in Uganda. So back to my “why”… because I’m a Mom. When I look at those children, I can’t help but to see my own daughter. My own daughter who is guaranteed to be clothed, well-fed, and educated, simply because of her place of birth. When you purchase your LuLaRoe from me, you are ensuring that a child across the globe can go to sleep at night with those same basic rights.