As our brand is growing, so is our potential to do something good. That’s why this year we’ve been able to add a new partner to our Giving Back portfolio: Future Hope.
Every night in Kolkata children can be found sleeping on the streets and in slums, vulnerable, undernourished and neglected. They have little or no ability to change their lives because they are trapped in the so-called poverty cycle. In India, it would take 7 generations for a member of a poor family to achieve average income. It is Future Hope’s mission to break this cycle for these children in Kolkata.
What is Future Hope?
There’s a special story behind the start of Future Hope. In 1987, an English banker named Tim Grandage, was transferred to Kolkata to work for HSBC. While finding his feet there, he was so touched by the street children that he took them into his home. Soon he has 35 children sleeping on the floor in his flat, eating three regular meals a day. After a few years of doing that next to his banking job, he decided to leave HSBC and officially start his charity.
By now, Future Hope has been active in Kolkata for over 35 years, providing housing, accredited education, mentoring and sports for over 3.000 children. Their long experience ensures that they fully understand the challenges these children face and that they are able to offer solutions that dramatically and permanently change their lives and break the poverty cycle.
Seeing Future Hope's Impact with Our Own Eyes
When meeting Tim and his lovely (Dutch!) wife Erica, we were immediately impressed by their commitment to the welfare of “their” children. It was clear that Future Hope and O My Bag are a perfect match.
Our Partnership with Future Hope
We’re very excited about this new partnership and can’t wait to make an impact together with Future Hope. We’ll keep you updated!
It’s O My Bag’s mission to make a positive difference in the world. We have a formal commitment to donate 1% of our annual revenue to social impact projects surrounding our production in Kolkata. You may have heard about the Brickfield Schools we have been supporting for many years through our partnership with Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre, or the vocational training program for vulnerable young women and girls in Kolkata that helps them find a profession. With this 1% Giving Back policy we ensure that our commercial success is directly linked to positive impact.
