International Education Supported by Signorelli and buildOn

The Signorelli Movement Foundation, a non-profit focused on educating and inspiring rising generations to give back, and buildOn, a not-for-profit organization that combats the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education, today announced the groundbreaking of a new school in Malawi, Africa.

Known as "The Warm Heart of Africa,” Malawi is consistently ranked among the world’s 20 least developed countries on the UN’s Human Development Index with over 50 percent of the country’s population living below the poverty line. The Southeast African country has long been challenged by economic stagnation and a lack of access to education. 

With the shared belief that education is a basic human right, the Signorelli Movement Foundation sought buildOn’s help to develop an adequate school structure for a rural village in Malawi. Signorelli chose buildOn because of its approach to engage the entire community. buildOn contributes the engineering, materials, skilled labor and project supervision, while each village provides the land, local materials such as sand, and the unskilled labor to build the school. “buildOn’s work wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of companies like Signorelli,” said Jim Ziolkowski, Founder and CEO of buildOn. “This school will not only change the lives of hundreds of children, but will bring continued development for the entire Chapita community. Together we can break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations for generations of Malawians.” 

Additionally, every village must promise that girls will attend the school in equal numbers with boys. Currently, 49 percent of students in buildOn schools are female. “Education is the first step in combating extreme poverty so we wanted to bring this opportunity to Malawian children, especially to its young girls who aren't traditionally educated,” said Meredith Garrett, Signorelli Movement Foundation President. “As a female entrepreneur and mom to a young daughter, it was really important to work with an organization that championed gender equality. buildOn has given many women and girls their first opportunity to become educated and contribute meaningfully to their communities.” 

About the Signorelli Movement Foundation School in the Chapita Village of Malawi:

• Construction of the school began on April 29^th, completion is expected mid-July;
• 150 students will attend immediately, with enrollment expected to double in 2015;
• There are 4 permanent teachers, and 2 trainee teachers that commute daily;
• The local government has committed to providing more teachers once construction on the new school is complete, which will allow more grades to be added;
• Currently the school houses grades 1-6;
• The next closest school with proper infrastructure is located 3-4 miles away 

About Signorelli Movement Foundation

The Signorelli Movement Foundation is a non-profit with a mission to educate and inspire rising generations to give back to the world. Established in 2009, the foundation is wholly funded through high-end fashion brand Signorelli. Committed to the belief that giving back is at the core of “conscious consuming,” five percent of all sales from the Signorelli collection go directly toward the foundation. 

Through the support of numerous celebrity collaborations, the Signorelli Movement Foundation has already raised nearly a million dollars for programs including Computers for Africa, Educate America Program, Organic Gardens, Wildlife Adoption Program, Cause for Paws, Inspire the Arts, Lunch for Kids in Need, and Giving the Shirt Off Our Back. 

For more information, visit  www.signorellimovement.org or follow on Instagram to see our work in action. 

About buildOn: At home or abroad, buildOn’s goal is to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education. Across the U.S., buildOn empowers urban youth to transform their neighborhoods through intensive community service and to change the world by building schools in some of the economically poorest countries in the world. Since 1991, buildOn has constructed 611 schools worldwide, with more than 85,000 children, parents and grandparents attending these schools every day.

For more information, visit www.buildon.org.

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