Unikids Inc

Founder Message:

The idea of recycling school supplies came to me when I realized that my children, at the end of each school year, come home with bags of used school supplies, put them away, and start their summer vacation. The supplies disappear unnoticed and unused. If you are like me and many parents, when school starts in August you end up buying new supplies, back packs, etc.

In 2007, I began sending out my children’s gently used school supplies to Ethiopia, my home country. The school supplies, though few in quantity, were helpful to children who went to my neighborhood school. They were excited to get crayons, markers, scissors, erasers, rulers, glue sticks, ruled papers, etc. They would have mainly continued their education with the basic pen and pencil. These supplies added color to their daily activities.

In 2008, I extended the offer to my children’s school. The principal, teachers, parents, and students came on board and donated boxes of supplies. They donated with great enthusiasm and big smile. We continued to inspire more schools to participate.

Today, UniKids is a tax-exempt non-profit organization in Louisville, KY and collaborates with more schools each year to support the educational needs of children in developing countries.

Low-income school-aged children and orphans in developing countries cannot afford to buy these supplies and therefore lack the necessary tools to expand their imagination and to experience the wonders of color.

Senait Mareligne

Director, UniKids Inc.