Day #10: Sustainable Fashion 
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About this Act
Welcome to day #10 of the 2023 Billion Acts Earth Day Countdown! You can visit the main campaign page here! Let us know how you joined today's call-to-action by clicking on "Make an Impact" on the right side of the screen. We also welcome you to add your own Earth month events and calls-to-action to the campaign page as well. We're on a mission to reach 1,000 acts by April 22nd! You can also follow along with our campaign on our Facebook group. We will be reaching out each day with messages from our incredible Nobel Peace Laureates and youth-leaders working to build a healthier environment for us all. Did you know that it takes almost 3,000 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt? Or that 60% of all clothing is made from synthetic fibers that release microplastics when washed? At least 35% of all ocean microplastic pollution is estimated to be from these clothes. Much of the worst environmental impacts of the industry come from “fast fashion”. Fast fashion generally refers to a business model of mass-producing and transporting trendy new styles for low-costs before the interest fades. Change is underway in parts of the fashion industry, but there are many different environmental issues to address still. The great news? You can still be as fashionable as you like, while also helping make the industry more sustainable. Inspiration: Sankofa Empowering Women in Ghana (SEWING) is a youth-led project with a mission to empower young girls living in Northern Ghana and build long-lasting relationships with the greater Kopella community by promoting educational and economic opportunities to advance gender equality. The project was founded by PeaceJam Mid-Atlantic youth leaders Samantha Jayasundera, Simona Letizia, Queen Balina, and Zehra Syeda. The program was quickly joined by fellow youth from PeaceJam Ghana, all of which have worked to collaborate and shape the cross-cultural project from continents apart. SEWING focuses on providing the skills and opportunities for young girls to surpass economic limitations. Specifically, the program offers options outside the infamous practice of Kayayei, or head porting, which is known to put women at risk of economic exploitation, health risks, and sexual assault. The program not only supports the local Ghanaian economy but also promotes business models focused on sustainability. A second SEWING chapter has even been opened at Lincoln Community School in Accra, Ghana. You can learn more about SEWING on our most recent blog or at sankofawomen.org! Education:
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We cannot sow seeds with clenched fists. To sow we must open our hands.
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel