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A big-hearted fashion lover is creating comfortable and cool clothing to wear that not only spread positivity but also support children in need.
The Humanite brand, founded by lawyer Maryam AlThukair, features a range of retail products and 50 per cent of sale proceeds are being donated to support a child either educationally or health wise.
“Humanite was born from the inspiration to create products with a purpose,” explained Maryam, 27, from Riffa. “The aim is to provide comfort and joy while wearing each piece knowing that the purchase has made a significant difference to someone who needs it.
“I wanted to create items that feel comfortable and look good while simultaneously creating a ripple effect of ‘goodness’ stemming from the purchase. This is why I am dedicating 50pc of our sale proceeds to charitable efforts. That is also why I chose the name Humanite, as it represents intrinsic human nature, civilisation, kindness and the quality of being human. It includes all of mankind collectively.”
Her first ‘gratitude project’ supported a family of four orphans in Bahrain between the ages of 11 and 17.
“They were unable to get the medical tests and treatments they needed to treat liver problems,” said Maryam, who achieved a Bachelor’s in law from Manchester Metropolitan University in UK and a Master’s in law from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “They needed support as the funds available to them at the time were directed for the rent of their flat.”
Her second ‘gratitude project’ was directed to ensuring students in Bahrain were able to continue their education uninterrupted during the pandemic. Her support was aimed at tuition fees for girls from nursery up to high school during the months of April, May and June. She contributed to the efforts of Afkarech Female Network to support 16 students with their tuition fees.
Maryam is currently working on a third ‘gratitude project’ dedicated towards the Children’s Cancer Centre of Lebanon (CCCL) to help support their treatment of children suffering from pediatric cancer as hospitals in Beirut were badly damaged and were redirected to the CCCL.
Maryam said: “My goal in the end is to bring the biggest impact possible to each child and give the best chance of making a difference in their future. The education and health of a child can have the biggest impact on their overall well-being and success. A child or their family may be involuntarily helpless and that is why Humanite aims to support causes of this nature specifically.
“My items are also embroidered with designs which I hope will inspire positivity, love and gratitude for humankind.”
The products, which are mostly cotton, unisex and are said to be easy to maintain, are produced in limited quantities in Maryam’s interest of zero waste fashion to minimise the negligent effects overconsumption has on the planet and help maintain sustainable measures as much as possible.
She recently launched a summer hat range and is working on including t-shirts as well. She is constantly working on designing new products to fit the brand such as shorts, sweatpants and is also working on collaborations with Bahraini designers and local businesses on limited collections which she hopes to launch soon.
Her products, priced BD15 to BD50, can be snapped up by visiting www.thehumanite.com or by following @__humanite on Instagram.
