Dua+ is one of the first of its kind: a collective that is also an ever-shifting culture, built for creators and a diverse audience. Incorporating the voices of its collaborators and crediting them, The brand aims to gives its audience expression and ownership of its items through a unique approach tech and design.

 Founded by British/Ghanaian, Darren Agyei-Dua, the brand offers more than just ‘stylish streetwear’.With sustainable Hoodies sweats and tees, ethically produced and distributed. Whilst ‘fast-fashion fat cats’ thrust the fashion industry into a negative light, DUA+ pays conscious consideration to the sustainability of its supply chain. Honoring the Fair Wear Foundation, the business is dedicated to promoting trust and transparency. The non-profit Fair Wear organisation strives to improve working conditions in the textile industry, verifying all member companies comply and implement the Code of Labour Practice. 

The brand is currently working inconjunction with the West African organisation and registered charity, Action Through Enterprise, the business donates 10% of  the proceeds of each to ATE which delivers key initiatives in education, enterprise and social change; actively improving the lives of civilians in Lawra Municipal, Upper West Region of Ghana.

@ATEGHANA

WWW.ATEGHANA.ORG/

Registered Charity Number: 1149988

Fighting poverty in Lawra, Upper West Ghana

Winner of GUBA Charity of The Year 2017

Who are we?

ACTION THROUGH ENTERPRISE  is changing the lives of children and adults living in the poorest parts of Ghana. supporting small businesses and care for children living with disability, ATE is making a measurable difference to thousands of people.

Tara Colsell -Hawes Action Through Enterprise

Annual  Impact Report 2020

The purpose of our EducATE programme is to relieve hunger, and to encourage children into school to complete a basic education. In a community experiencing chronic food shortages and 100% poverty incidence (UN 2010), education is vital to break the cycle of poverty. With the long school closures faced by pupils due to the pandemic, this year it is more vital than ever to support the children at our schools to complete their education.

When the final year students returned to school to prepare for their exams, we found that:

·       Only 39% of children returned to school

·       96% of Form 3 children returned to school without the basic learning materials they needed to take part in        lessons

·       80% of children at rural schools suffered from ‘high’ to ‘severe’  levels of hunger during the pandemic 

 Your donation contributed towards learning materials and food parcels for the final year students at the six junior high schools that we support – equipping them with the tools they needed to take their exams, to complete their education, and to access greater future opportunities.

Testimonials

Prosper Albeboure – ATE Team & Projects Leader

The learning materials and food DUA+ provided takes away the worry and the struggle students would have gone through either to provide for themselves or their families, when that was needed at a short period of time. Taking away that worry gives them the full concentration to learn and write their final exams.

Frederick Peletege – Lawra Girls Model JHS Headteacher

I am most grateful to DUA+ and ATE for the support they have given to the final year students for this very school. DUA+gave them mathematical sets, rulers, exercise books and food items to help finish the rest of the weeks they were left with to fill in. It has actually helped them release the financial burden that parents had to go through – all final year students were expected to have mathematical sets, pens, pencils and rulers in order to finish up with their BECE exams so this actually came to relieve that burden from parents. It also helped them with exercise books, for them to do their remaining three weeks that they had to do after their break. The food items in a way has also given them the strength – some of them because of hunger will not want to come to school or even not be able participate very well in the classroom, but the food items that were given to them actually helped them to be able to present themselves in the classroom and participate fully in their lessons. We are so grateful to DUA+ and ATE – thank you.

John Bosco – Dowine JHS Headteacher

Most of the students [at Dowine] were only eating one square meal per day during lockdown. The learning materials provided helped the students prepare for their exams very well, as did the additional food supplies. We should say thank you to DUA+ and ATE.

ATE, and our supported schools, thank you for your donation, allowing form 3 students in Lawra to complete their exams to the best of their ability, giving them the best chance of a brighter future, and supporting sustainable community development.

🌍🌬🔥🌊🌐♻️

Our Circular Economy

Every year 100 billion new items of clothing are produced while a truck full of clothing is burned, or buried in a landfill every second. Slowing fast fashion down a bit won’t fix it. But when we take the waste material at the end, and make new products from it at the start, it changes everything. That’s what we’ve done.

Our products and packaging are made from natural materials, not plastics. Every product is designed to be sent back to us when it is worn out.

90% Reduced Carbon Footprint

EarthPositive® is made in manufacturing facilities powered by green renewable energy, from low-impact raw materials. The carbon footprint of EarthPositive® products has been reduced by some 90% and the calculations were certified under the PAS2050 standard by the Carbon Trust in the UK between 2007-2009.

Our Clothing Company, is working together with the Fair Fashion Network and BSD Consulting, has implemented a scheme that aims to deliver a LIVING WAGE for the garment workers at its factory in India. The first stage of the wage increase has come into effect from 1st January 2016 and covers the entire workforce.

The future of the FAIR SHARE project

The longer-term aim of this project is to reach the full living wage for all workers by covering 100% of the factory’s production within the scheme. This objective, however, will depend on the response from the market and the willingness of the retailers and consumers to pay the additional premium.

We are committed to fully support the communication and marketing of the scheme in order to achieve a high take up rate for products carrying the premium. The company will also encourage other brands sourcing from the same supply chain to participate in the programme.

A Living Wage Is A Human Right

A living wage should cover the basic needs of the workers and their families, allow for some savings and must be earned within a 48 hours working week.

A benchmark was calculated for minimum earnings required to provide a decent living for a typical family in the area. The difference between the current wages and the living wage was then converted into the additional amount that needs to be paid for each garment produced at the factory. The premium that has been added to the cost of each garment is documented as a separate item and goes directly to the workers with their monthly wages.

Products showing the Fair Share label carry a small price premium that is passed directly on to the garment workers in India towards their Living Wage.

Adding as little as 10p to the price of a T-shirt, or 54p to the price of a hoody, will result in a 50% increase in the wages of the poorest workers at our factory in India.

A small change makes a big difference

Workers Testimonials 🏭🌍👣♻️

(collected in April 2016 after having received the FAIR SHARE premium for 3 months)

“I’m very happy about Fair Share, it helps me pay for my daughter’s school.”

“I use the extra money to pay for medications.”

“With the additional wage I can repay my debts.”

“I can save for my daughter’s marriage.”

The FAIR SHARE living wage benchmark

In the absence of an existing calculation that would reliably reflect the realities of living and working in the garment industry in Tirupur in India (where the factory is located), Our Clothing commenced the project by defining the living wage benchmark specifically in relation to the factory workforce.

Based on the adopted definition of the living wage and primary research results, a round of discussions was held with representatives from a local NGO, the management and the workers of the factory, to put accurate figures on all the elements of the living costs.

The result was a net monthly requirement of 12,116 Indian Rupees (INR) set in December 2015. This equates to a standard shift rate of 466 INR “net money in hand”. This figure was then grossed up to allow for the statutory deductions of 13.75% from the pay slip.

Consequently, the FAIR SHARE living wage benchmark for the Tirupur area as of December 2015 was set at 14,048 INR per month (£141 or €191). This benchmark should be reviewed annually to keep track of the changing costs of living.

The actual earnings at the factory  ♻️🏭

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The lowest net wage at the factory for an 8-hour shift was 307 INR after deductions, including guaranteed bonuses but excluding any overtime. At the time of the survey, there were 14 workers (13 helpers and 1 sweeper) on the lowest wage. The highest shift wages were 574 for cutters and 523 for tailors. The average net shift wage was 393 INR.

In order to reach the set living wage of 466 INR, the lowest grade wage of 307 INR would have to be increased by 159 rupees in net terms. Of course, with the changing minimum wage levels and any possible variations in the living wage benchmark, this should be re-evaluated annually.

Paying the FAIR SHARE living wage 🧮💹premium to the workers   

Even though the current production covered by the FAIR SHARE scheme would be only 5-10% of the factory’s output in the first year, it was decided that all the factory workers should benefit from the increase in wages rather than only those actively involved, and it should be paid through the monthly pay roll rather than as a one-off bonus, every month, on a permanent basis.

The initial orders in the first year would not generate sufficient funds to reach the target living wage level in full, and therefore it was agreed that the available funds should be shared equally amongst all the workers through the pay grades, even if some top earners were already above that level. Giving every worker the same net increase was acceptable to all parties, and it was deemed as an equitable way of distributing the funds. In effect, it means the lowest earners would receive the highest increase in percentage terms.

Considering the amount of money the scheme would generate in the first year, the size of the workforce, and in order to ensure adequate provision of funds for every month, the additional amount to be paid to every worker was calculated at 25 rupees per shift, giving a monthly wage increase to every worker of 650 INR.

Clothing company of choice is guaranteed that this additional monthly wage payment would not decrease or stop for as long as the company has a trading relationship with the factory, regardless of the volume of future orders.

The scheme will be independently audited by Fair Wear Foundation three months after commencement.

Our Clothing Company will absorb the cost of initiating the project, defining the methodology and the benchmark, carrying out the research, implementing, reporting, marketing and auditing. The factory will absorb the cost of administering the scheme and covering the additional statutory employer’s contributions to the provident fund.

Any further funds generated as a result of increased production volumes would be accumulated in a fund to further increase the wages in the following months until the living wage level is reached for all employees.