Model Toni Garrn On Her Foundation, Female Empowerment And Her Charity Flea Market

Our July cover model Toni Garrn is organising “Supermodel Flea Market” where she will be raising money for girls education projects as part of her Toni Garrn Foundation. Founded in 2016, the Toni Garrn Foundation supports girls' education initiatives, empowering not only children, but also their families and communities. Raising money to invest in local organizations for the development of girls and their communities, it focuses on projects which revolve around making education accessible for girls and children, via infrastructure or program development.

The flea market is seen as a fun way to raise money, as you get some cool pieces donated by supermodels such as Karlie Kloss, Bella and Gigi Hadid as well as Gisele Bündchen just to name a few. All the clothing has been collected by Garrn with 100% of the proceeds going to raising money for girls education projects.

Check out below as we speak to Toni Garrn to find out more about her foundation and the charity flea market.

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What has led to you to become passionate about female empowerment and education?

I think part of it is because I work in one of the only industries where girls make more money than most men, I find its kind of our duty to give back to women, and I chose the ones in Africa, for now. Also if you empower and educate a girl, you educate a village they say. A women will always educate her children and that's how you end poverty. She'll know her rights, understand about health and maybe even create a small business herself. It is the most sustainable way to support developing countries, if they can self help themselves.

Why do you think it’s important for girls to stay in school or get education opportunities, particularly in the Sub-Saharan African region which your foundation targets?

In those areas not all girls get access to school. Even primary school they often only send their sons if the families can afford one school fee. The worlds' poorest areas are in the sub Saharan region, so hey need help. and education is always the begging to end the cycle of poverty.

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Why did you choose a flea market as a way to raise money for your cause? What are the benefits of using this method?

It's so easy to get donations! Girls and women have too many clothes especially in this business and especially models! It's very sustainable to just recycle those beautiful pieces and at the same time we can then raise money for other women in the world. It's a beautiful sustainable and very fun circle.

We understand that 100% of the proceeds from this flea market will go towards the Toni Garrn foundation in Africa. How will the funds make a difference in the lives of the girls and women you advocate for?

We'll build hostels for the girls to live in on the school campus so that they don’t have to walk far away to get to school. We also pay for scholarships so that girls can access school, or simply build toilets for girls, so that teenage girls have a clean and private place when they hit menstruation. All of those things often lead to girls dropping out of school.

What is your advice for anyone who wants to make a difference but isn't sure where to start?

Find an organization which you like and trust. Make small donations or even ask if you can physically help out, like volunteer at the office or even in the field. There’s so many organizations out there that need help.

Find out more and shop here.

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