UniCycle Jamaica has exceeded its annual target of collecting and donating 300 khaki uniforms and 1,000 masks to the National Education Trust (NET) for distribution to students in need across the island.

Since its inception in 2018, the student-driven textile recycling initiative has collected gently-used khaki uniforms annually and added masks and white uniform shirts in the last two years. 

To date, the value of the goods donated exceeds $1.5 million.

At the recent handover to the NET, Rhys Greenland, UniCycle programme manager and co-founder, explained that, given the persistence of COVID-19: “It is really important to not only help students access uniforms to be able to adhere to their schools’ rules and regulations, but also to help make sure that they can return to school safely. The 1,000 masks and 1,000 sanitisers help with that. Also, since these masks made by Project Hope/HEART Trust- NTA  are reusable, they will not add to pollution in our waters or threaten our underwater life.”

Latoya Harris, director, Donor & Partnerships at the NET, expressed appreciation for the continued partnership with UniCycle Jamaica and noted that “as face-to-face classes [return], this donation is timely and will go a far way in relieving the burden placed on parents to send children to school, especially in light of the economic hardships being perpetuated by the pandemic”.

Harris added: “It is also commendable that the young people of Unicycle Jamaica continue to lead this initiative as the best kinds of support the NET receives is when young people help each other.”

Greenland also thanked all UniCycle partners: Fontana, Project Hope/HEART Trust-NTA, Ammars, Joseph’s, Megamart, Campion College, Ultimate Visions, Frozen Delights Distributors, LP Azar and Roger Malek. 

“With their help we were not only able to continue spreading the idea of recycling clothing, but we can also help families save money and feel better able to ensure their children’s safety to return to school.”

Next year, will mark UniCycle’s fifth year and Maria Greenland, UniCycle community outreach coordinator, explained: “We hope to reach our target for having been able to support schools with donations worth close to $2 million and to continue to promote more climate conscious use of clothing through textile recycling. Hopefully, we will have moved beyond the effects of this pandemic and won’t need more masks in 2022, but if we do, we will try again to work with our partners and maybe even bring new ones on board to help as much as we can.”