Latest update January 5th, 2025 2:16 AM
ICO DESIGNS…US-based Guyanese pools fashion and philanthropy to help others
With a constant desire to help improve the state of humanity, overseas-based Guyanese businesswoman and philanthropist, Onica Charles, has combined innovation and passion to launch a personalised clothing line.
ICO Designs
The young entrepreneur who founded two private schools in the US and spearheads the International Children’s Outreach, (ICO), a charity which caters to the needs of children globally, artistically branded the line ICO Designs.
ICO Designs will not only cater to people’s apparel needs but will also help support the work of charitable organisations worldwide.
Explaining the concept behind the new venture, Charles says that the T-shirt line will raise help awareness about suicide, homelessness, volunteerism and other global occurrences.
Through direct sales of their consciously made products which were designed by civic minded individuals, they will support a nonprofit / non-governmental organisation which provides support for underprivileged children, globally.
She explained that based on her projections sixty per cent of the net profit from the brand will go to charitable organisations and the other forty percent will be geared towards assisting students with their tuition and other school related material.
“It’s not just ICO charity that will benefit but charities from around the world whose efforts are geared towards ending poverty, homelessness and other social issues.”
Our goal is to help support the work of orphanages and other underfunded non- profits organisations globally.
ICO Designs also has a matching programme which allows you to double the power of your spending. Charles has travelled all over the world helping disadvantaged children and one of the biggest obstacles that she noticed was the lack of school uniform for under privileged children in third world countries.
Children are not able to attend school for the simple fact of not having school uniform and shoes. So with this initiative, for every item you order, ICO Designs will donate a school uniform, book bag or school shoes to an under privileged child.
Given the impact of the alternative breaks programme and its growing popularity with college students, Charles shared that at present, ICO is hosting ten interns who volunteer to help them to reach its goal.
The interns all attend the Florida International University (FIU). Each worked with ICO before via their alternative breaks programme.
“It gives me pleasure to mentor students from my Alma Mater,” Charles, an International Relations graduate asserted.
She explained that ICO Designs were birthed from a need to teach the college students skills of entrepreneurship and the importance of starting a business/brand.
She said therefore that all the designs will be created by civic-minded college students who want to give back to the community.”
ICO Designs is about encouraging, inspiring, and empowering lives through fashion, art and design. The line will focus on T-shirts which can be marked with personalised mantras and favourite quotes. They are also working on a line of handcrafted handbags which will be made in India using materials Charles has created from her travels around the world. The material will be available via the website www.icodesigns.org.
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