Students making ties with businesses to help orphan children in Philippines

Tristan Torr, 17, Jorja Gibson, 17, Jane Weng, 18, Kenzie Mason, 17. Photo / Jean Bell

Ōtūmoetai College business students are making ties with local businesses to help abandoned and orphaned children in the Philippines.

Mackenzie Mason, Jorja Gibson, Tristan Toor and Jane Weng from SEAD have made scrunchies out of drawings from children in the Ruel Foundation's orphanage in the Philippines as part of the Young Enterprise Scheme.

Mason, who is the team's head of communications, said the group will donate 70 per cent of all profits to the Ruel Foundation to help the children in need.

"We handmade each accessory ourselves from pinning, sewing, elasticating and packaging," she said.

Mason said the business idea evolved after discovering the team's chief executive Jorja Gibson sponsored a child in the Philippines.

"When she told us about the foundation we all automatically knew that we wanted to do something that could help them," she said.

The team started to brainstorm ideas that would connect them with the children as well as be trendy and sell well.

"We knew that scrunchies and hair scarfs were the right choice," Mason said.

A highlight of the business adventure so far, Mason said, has been the feedback they have received.

"The fact that they are the kids' drawings adds that extra personal touch," she said. "It is very rewarding knowing that people are proud to wear our products."

Mason said the team has spent hours with Mount Maunganui business Textiles Alive who helped to produce and print the drawings on to the fabric.

"We have spent hours after hours at sewing machines, handmaking every individual hair accessory to the highest quality," she said.

One of the challenges has been spreading the word about their scrunchies.

"Our family friends and school know about us but now we want the city and others to know about us," Mason said.

A Ruel Foundation spokeswoman said, "Every little bit of fundraising counts.

"The fact a group of local girls are reaching out to these children in the Philippines who are really struggling with life is really appreciated," the spokeswoman said.

The team have a donation page set up on their website sead.mystorbie.com and can also be contacted on Instagram and Facebook under the name SEAD_YES