A four-day hike to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro proved to be more than a test of physical endurance for ASU alumnus Matthew Clough — it helped create Benson Backpacks.
Clough realized his success in reaching the summit was largely because of the porters who helped him get from the base of the mountain to the summit and back. On the way down, Clough’s conversations with a porter named Benson revealed the porters only earned between $1 or $2 each day, which is not enough to put their children through school.
Benson Backpacks was born as a product of Clough's desire to help raise money for the education of Tanzanian children.
"I came home and I knew I had to do something," Clough said. "I bought a sewing machine and I started sewing all these little backpacks and selling them to friends and family, and that was the beginning of the project."
The decision to sell a backpack represented both the Mount Kilimanjaro hike and the desire to support children's educations, he said.
"Whenever I go hiking I always use a rucksack and when I think of education, I think of backpacks, so I wanted to tie the two things together," Clough said.
The backpacks, being made by a clothing manufacturer in Los Angeles, were in large demand during the holiday season after the project's launch in November, Clough said.
"I've definitely been overwhelmed with the response," he said.
Benson Backpacks partners with the Knock Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to raise funds for education and health in Tanzania, Clough said.
"If you purchase a backpack, then $10 of your purchase will go to Knock Foundation," he said. "They're then in charge of distributing those funds into scholarships, school supplies and school lunches."
Josh Thompson, a friend of Clough, purchased a backpack from the organization to support education in Tanzania.
"Any education is an important cause to support anywhere you're at, especially in a country that needs it," he said. "You buy a backpack for school, you might as well buy one that supports a cause."
Benson Backpacks also has been incorporating a grassroots strategy in areas such as college campuses, giving students an opportunity to get involved, Clough said.
Benjamin Fulfer, coordinator of the grassroots coalition, has played a large part in developing the strategy.
"We're building brand ambassadors, especially on campuses and in small groups, and these people will try to get their community involved personally," Fulfer said. "At Benson, we really believe in the individual and in the individual talent, so we're trying to build a program to connect with that."
The strategy focuses on the project's growth and need for others to participate in supporting the cause, Clough said.
"If there's one thing I've learned from starting this project, I know I can't do it alone and the help from others has played a significant role," he said.
Both the trip to Tanzania and the experience from creating a cause-related product have offered the opportunity to see the world in a different light, Clough said.
"It made me realize that the U.S. is a really amazing place to grow up," he said. "I was really isolated from the developing world until I stepped into it, and that's really what has changed everything for me."
Reach the reporter at dgrobmei@asu.edu
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