A Black American entrepreneur is empowering young West African women in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Payton McGriff is the founder of Style Her Empowered (SHE). The organization aims to ensure young women get a proper education by employing working-age women as seamstresses to sew school uniforms. Having the proper uniform is one of the highest financial barriers to entering the school system in Togo. 

McGriff founded SHE as a student at the University of Idaho as part of a class project. She was inspired two years earlier when she read the book “Half The Sky,” which found rates low rates of female enrollment in primary school affects more than 100 million girls around the world. McGriff began her journey when a university professor encouraged her to travel to Togo, his home country over spring break during her senior year.

While there, she learned 69% of households live below the poverty line. Therefore the cost of buying new school uniforms is out of reach making it almost impossible for a child in that part of the world to attend school. 

“Every girl stood up and raised her hand so high and, not only that, told a very expressive story about how she had been shamed out of school because she didn’t have her uniform,” McGriff told CNN as part of their Hero series.

So, McGriff got started making the dresses. She said they are culturally appropriate and come with extra fabric tucked into the hem that can be quickly released to make the dress longer. Cords are included on the sides of the dress so it can be adjusted to fit any body shape.

There are two SHE factories in Togo. The seamstresses there make 75% more than the minimum wage and are given a Western-style benefits package. McGriff manages the business from Idaho, but has collaborators in the country who help out and know the social and cultural environment. 

“The vision for starting SHE was always for it to become locally led because local women understand the challenges and the solutions far better than I ever could,” McGriff said. “I may have struck the original match that started SHE. But what I’m so beyond inspired by is watching our team carry the torch.”

SHE is available in 21 rural villages in Togo. Any textile scraps from the dresses are recycled into menstrual pads for young girls in need.

Right now, McGriff is working to raise $25,000 to enroll another 500 girls in its program through GoFundMe. A $50 donation provides a full year of education for one student.

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