The Project Break The Cycle team is eager to share some exciting news about what has been going on for the past several months.

Relaunch

On July 6, 2020, Project Break The Cycle publicly relaunched with an updated mission and exciting changes. First, we clarified our mission statement: PBTC is a 501(c)3 fundraising nonprofit organization that utilizes 100% of profits from selling uniquely designed clothing to empower nonprofit organizations aimed at sustainably breaking the cycle of poverty in the Middle East. We wanted to make sure that our mission statement more accurately reflected our direct actions facing both our supporters as well as our nonprofit partners.

We also implemented a new made-to-order model merchandise sales model with manufacturers and printers based in the US. In addition, we started the "Artists for PBTC" program where local artists can submit their designs for future merchandise collections. For our first collection since the relaunch, we partnered with Sahara Studios. This collection aimed to raise money for income generation farming projects in Yemen, in collaboration with the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation. More information can be found below.

Merchandise collaboration with Sahara Studios

We are excited to be relaunching externally in the month of July! Be on the lookout for another update as to exactly what Project Break The Cycle will be doing moving forward! We’re excited to have you on the journey with us!

The Family Tree design draws inspiration from the Socotra Dragon Tree and its blood-red sap, reminding us of our common blood, our connection to humanity, and our responsibilities towards each other. The Desert Nights design was inspired by the often overlooked cool desert twilight, representing moments of solace and contemplation not found underneath the sweltering heat of the desert sun. The backside of this design features a unique mountainous landscape, inspired by the geography of the Sarawat Highlands.

Both designs were available on short sleeve t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and hoodies. Check out our Shop for more details or if you are interested in purchasing!

Sales

This first merchandise collection was released on July 18, 2020. We sold over 200 pieces of the collection, with a slightly over $5,000 in sales. This could not have been possible without our amazing supporters. Thank you! From these contributions, we raised ~$1,501 in profits, which all went towards our Income Generation Farming Project campaign. More information about implementing our campaign can be found below.

Charity Livestream

On September 19, 2020, Verbum Media hosted a charity livestream event to fundraise for our active Income Generation Farming Project campaign. It was our first time fundraising in a livestream setting, and $3,000.33 was raised during the stream for our campaign. Thank you, Verbum Media!

Implementing first chicken coop project

With these funds, Project Break The Cycle enabled the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation (YRRF) to distribute 500 chickens to 100 families (primarily woman-led households) in Kaedenah, Hajjah Governorate, Yemen. Each family received 4 egg-laying hens and 1 rooster. The total cost for the project was $2,360USD. In Arabic, these are called "baladi" chickens, which means they are free range. They can eat left over food or grains in the area (they don’t need special feed). The families live in rural areas, so there was no need to construct chicken coops.

YRRF volunteers suggested that we distribute fewer chickens per family to cover more people. This is the first time YRRF distributed about half the number of chickens that they normally distribute, in order to sustainably impact more families for the same cost. Pictures can be found below.

Looking Ahead

The relaunch has taught us a lot about our fundraising styles and amazing supporters. We're excited and ambitious to tackle projects to be implemented in the near future. This includes but is not limited to:

Image Gallery