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Planet Aid is a nonprofit organization that collects and recycles used clothing and shoes. Our efforts annually save more than a 100 million pounds of textiles from being dumped in landfills across the United States. We began recycling used clothing in 1997 in the Boston area. Today our clothes collection boxes can be found across 21 states. Our work has been very successful and the clothes we deliver much in demand, but that is not all we do.

Planet Aid sells the clothing it collects to distributors in developing countries, who make it available to customers at a low price. The proceeds from this sale, in turn, are donated to help people in developing nations meet basic needs. For example, the programs we support

Planet Aid sponsors primary school teacher training throughout sub-Saharan Africa and India.

provide nutritious food, a good education, clean water, care for orphaned children and the sick, and support for communities being ravaged by the spread of HIV/AIDS. We have thus combined our work in recycling with international assistance that helps to improve living conditions for the world’s neediest people. The projects we support operate in more than 15 countries, with annual direct and in-kind contributions exceeding $15 million and growing.

The combination of recycling and development work sets Planet Aid apart from other aid organizations. We believe that our approach of saving the environment while serving the poor helps to restore the global balance by transferring goods and resources from regions of surplus to regions of need. It is an approach that embraces environmental stewardship, while respecting the link between social and ecological progress.

Recycling for the Planet and Development Projects for the Poor

Reusing discarded items from the rich part of the world as a vehicle to increase income and improve lives in other parts is good for the Earth and thus benefits us all. Ester Neltrup, President Planet Aid, Inc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans generate 12.5 millions tons of textile waste each year. Only 10 to 15 percent of this amount is currently donated to clothing recyclers such as Planet Aid. Keeping more of this clothing out of landfills and incinerators will further reduce impacts and lessen environmental burdens. According to the EPA, 97 percent of the textile waste stream is recyclable.

Along with the environmental benefits of recycling, the used-clothing trade stimulates a wealth of economic activity. In markets and shops around the world, inexpensive used clothing is in high demand and vendors run a brisk business. Planet Aid estimates that its used clothing operation has helped generate close to 30,000 jobs domestically and overseas.

Saving Resources, Creating Good Jobs

At Planet Aid we recognize that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Our collection bins help to recapture the value in clothing that would otherwise be discarded as waste. A used sweater or T-shirt can thus acquire a second life, providing a small-scale farmer

with protection from the tropical sun or warmth in the morning’s chill air. In this way, an article of clothing is imbued with new worth and is cherished by its owner. The reuse of clothing thus becomes a win for the poor and a win for the planet.

Harvesting Value

Global Organization

The international development programs that Planet Aid supports are based on models developed by Humana People to People. There are 32 member organizations across the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Planet Aid’s support for these programs has extended to 14 countries.

In Brazil, Planet Aid supports projects that help improve the livlihoods of participating families, expanding opportunities with activities that range from training courses in sustainable agricultural techniques to garden farming projects that enhance income and nutritional status.

Community DevelopmentPlanet Aid supports a range of community development projects worldwide. These projects, which are implemented through member organizations of the Humana People to People, have ranged from constructing new wells and latrines to providing assistance to small businesses.

For example, in India and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Planet Aid supports organizations that provide communities with hand-operated pumps and water harvest storage tanks, ensuring greater access to clean sources of water and improved health.

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Child Aid

As part of our support of community development, Planet Aid helps to expand Child Aid programs being implemented by Humana People to People organizations. Child Aid works to improve children’s lives by strengthening communities.

Program activities focus on making local improvements in areas such as hygiene, nutrition, and preschool education; working to establish youth clubs, libraries, and committees to support disadvantaged and at-risk children; and providing training and other resources to improve family income. The program also works with the community to upgrade school buildings and other infrastructure.

The preschool children pictured below are part of a “Preschool of the Future” in South Africa. These preschools teach youngsters ages 4 to 6 from a holistic perspective, focusing on developing children physically, academically, and emotionally.

The schools’ approach embraces the idea that the early years are an opportunistic time for young minds that are very fertile for learning. Child Aid programs in South Africa have been funded by Johnson & Johnson. This support has helped create youth clubs for older children, organize sports and cultural events, as well as teach life skills and provide HIV/AIDS prevention awareness.

After my husband’s death, I worried about taking care of my four children. Through Child Aid, my neighbors and I have better communications — we meet every week and are creating positive change in our lives. —Silvia, Child Aid Group Leader in Ecuador

Education for the FutureA critical shortage of well-trained teachers and quality curriculums exists in many developing countries. Consequently, Planet Aid places a priority on the support of programs that improve education. In Africa, Planet Aid supports both vocational training and the education of primary school teachers through its in-country partners ADPP Mozambique and DAPP Malawi.

The campus of One World University in Mozambique

The primary school teacher-training is unique in that it focuses not only on pedagogical skills but also on assisting teachers in taking an active role in bettering the communities in which they work. The vocational training offers both classroom and on-the-job training in agriculture, carpentry, mechanics, construction, horticulture, and business management.

In Mozambique, we have taken our support of education to a higher level, establishing a university that offers bachelor’s degrees that qualify graduates to be instructors at teacher-training colleges. In cooperation with ADPP Mozambique, the university, which was established with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, received certification from Mozambique’s Council of Ministers.

In Malawi and Mozambique, where student-teacher ratios are very high, Planet Aid has helped to establish and operate 2 teacher-training colleges and supports the operation of 13 others. Planet Aid alsos support teacher training in Angola, DR Congo, Guinea-Bissau, and India, The colleges are run in cooperation with the respective ministries of education.

Farmers’ Club

Planet Aid supports the Farmers’ Club program, which empowers and mobilizes farmers to work together on increasing and diversifying crops, implementing soil and water conservation methods, improving marketing, and devising ways to operate more efficiently and economically. The core principle of this program recognizes that small-scale farmers are the backbone of a rural community, and that their success is vital to the health, prosperity, and well-being of everyone.

Farmers’ Clubs are implemented over a three- to five-year period. During this time, farmers

receive training in sustainable farming methods and cash crop production, and are introduced to new ways of value-chain processing and marketing. Planet Aid has supported Farmers’

Clubs in Malawi and Mozambique, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE)

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has ravaged many parts of the developing world, orphaning children, further impoverishing families, burdening health systems, and stifling economic development. With assistance from Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Planet Aid has been supporting the TCE program in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. This ambitious initiative focuses on a rigorous and systematic campaign to dispel myths, minimize stigma, increase testing, and ultimately mobilize the community to change the course of the disease. TCE aims to reach every single person in a specified geographical area, utilizing a grassroots approach that has been highly praised by government officials, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and the individuals and families who benefit from the program. “We believe that the TCE model

empowers people and communities to halt the spread of HIV.”

—Conrad Person, Director International Programs

and Product GivingJohnson & Johnson

Reach Out, Become a Planet Aid Donor

Planet Aid invites you to help support our programs. You can make a cash contribution conveniently online at planetaid.org. We also welcome multi-year partnerships for foundations and corporations and offer benefits packages that acknowledge your genrosity. Benefits include the display of your logo on Planet Aid collection bins at locations across the United States. We encourage you to contact us directly for more information and to visit planetaid.org.

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Planet Aid 6730 Santa Barbara Court, Elkridge, Maryland 21075Phone: (410) 796-1510 • dcinfo@planetaid.org • Planetaid.org

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