When Patrick Lubilanji and Rebecca Lubilanji moved from Australia to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017, they set out to change the lives of the girls they'd worked with in a rape crisis center for a decade.
"We had already started a school in Tanzania, we knew the culture, the language, and had networks on the ground, so Harvest Hope Africa was the next step," Rebecca tells the Canberra Times.
After three years running the charity, they needed a more consistent way to generate revenue, so they founded Lolendo Collections as a revenue stream to help fund it.
The idea was to "bring the color and beauty of African fabrics and prints to a western fashion with expertise in the local Lingala language," Rebecca says.
Profits from the company go to the charity, which runs a sewing program for girls as young as 12 who've been raped.
"We've had girls say, that you won't just learn how to sew in the program, just learn how to believe yourself again," Rebecca says.
"With their sewing program we're helping these girls build confidence and pride and hope for a future for themselves and their children."
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