The Equality Association successfully presented the project ZEN* at the Donor Circle 2023 event, with a focus topic: Social entrepreneurship, organized by the Konekt Association and was part of achieving historic record for collecting fundings at this great event for purpose to serve social projects with impact.
Equality Association, represented by Gere Tripkov and Ljubisa Saveski, were part of this socially responsible event – Donator’s Circle – 2023 project, which the NGO Konekt traditionally holds for the fourth time.
Monday, June 12, 2023, will be noted in the history of the Equality Association, as the day in which one of the short-term goals was achieved related to the development of the project for building a brand for clothing specialized for people with disabilities.
The presentation of the ZEN* brand opened the evening of presentations / pitches / fundraising including the participation of three projects.
Gere Tripkov addressing hundreds of participants and potential donors, introduced the brand, the history of the Association, the founding of the ZEN* brand and the process from idea to reality, furtherly presenting the functionality of adaptive clothing and the challenge it solves, i.e. the positive change from a frustrating experience of wardrobe preparations to ease of use, greater comfort and individuality.
Gere invited present guests to join ZEN*’s team and to raise funds to create clothing for at least 50 people from marginalized groups of people with disabilities.
A hundred potential donors had an exclusive opportunity to get acquainted with the first prototypes of the collection consisting of a shirt, pants and a jacket, to experience their functionality, purpose, and modern appearance.
Through sharing the personal life experiences of the team members, Gere as a former model and Ljubisa as a long-time fashion designer, and both of them representatives of the community of people with disabilities, as well joined by a close collaborator – the fashion designer Evgenija Zafirovska, has underlined an already successful presentation of the brand at prestigious fashion fairs and functional clothing events – Premier Vision – Paris and TechTextile – Frankfurt and FABB Fashion Acceleratior – Vienna, the expediency of the initiation of the project, as well as the achieved goals and successes already in the first stages of the establishment of the brand in 2022, were demonstrated.
The other two organizations, Ekovita – Negotino and Association for persons with cerebral palsy and other disabilities – Veles, respectively, presented their projects for growing mushrooms at home, as a chance to increase the working capacity of socially vulnerable groups of citizens and to create 4 small group homes in the region of Gradsko and Veles, which hire socially excluded people to produce natural products from calendula and lavender.
Funds in the total value of 641,000 denars were raised for the three organizations projects, which is the highest donated funds in the history of the project – Donation Circle.
The event represented a wonderful opportunity as well to celebrate the anniversary of the Konekt organization – 15 years since the foundation. Congrats to Nikica, VIktor, Sandra, Irina and the whole teamo of Konekt.
A donor’s circle was held at the Brick Bar, on the Promenade of Vardar River.
Photo-gallery from the event.
Photo courtesy of Konekt and Donation Circle.
