Community is the foundation of meaningful change, and through TOAST Circle, we have formed lasting connections – with those who take part in our initiatives and the global charities we proudly partner with. Together, we work toward a common goal: to reduce the social and environmental impact of clothing.
When we launched TOAST Reworn two years ago, we partnered with Traid, a UK charity dedicated to changing the way garments are made and used. The organisation diverts textiles from landfill by selling previously worn clothing in charity shops – including TOAST pieces – and finding alternative paths of reuse. But this is just one strand; its mission is inclusive of broader global issues stemming from the fashion industry.
With each Reworn purchase, 10% of the revenue is donated to the Traid’s long-term partner, READ (Rights Education and Development), a non-profit foundation based in Tamil Nadu, South India, dedicated to ending the exploitation of young girls and women from Dalit and tribal communities. Many of these women are forced to work in dangerous spinning mills and factories to support their families. In this region, approximately 80% of the textile manufacturing workforce is female, with 60 to 65% of them between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.
Since 2023, with your donations and purchases, we have contributed £18,890 to READ, funding 153 scholarships for Tamil Nadu’s female population. The programme empowers women to leave jobs in textile factories and evade this path altogether by providing study supplies, tailored training and literacy and numeracy education, supporting their transition to safer, more secure employment. So far this year, 44 students over the age of eighteen have received support for higher education, specifically in Nursing, Physics, and Engineering. An additional 21 students aged between sixteen and eighteen are progressing towards their A-level equivalent with the help of this vital programme.
We visited the READ team, teachers and scholarship recipients based in Sathyamangalam, a small town on the banks of the Bhavani River, to trace their journeys.
Karuppusamy Raman founded READ in 2001. During his student years, he participated in protests against class division and women's rights violations. “I was inspired to work in the education sector,” he recalls. “After graduating, I started campaigning to prevent children under the age of eighteen from abandoning their schooling for labour.” READ initiated research into the matter and found that domestic issues were a major factor pressuring young people into the workforce; many were orphaned or had lost a parent, leaving the family struggling to make ends meet.
“In these vulnerable situations, young girls are at a higher risk of becoming forced labourers,” Karuppusamy explains. “If they don't work, they are married off at a very young age.” The scholarship was set up to try to curb this widespread issue, with a particular focus on women from marginalised communities such as the Dalit population – a group at the lowest stratum of the Hindu caste society. “Through this scholarship, they can finish their schooling and get decent work in a field of their choice.”
M. Sandhya is a twelfth-grade student at St. Britto's Girls Higher Secondary School, Sathyamangalam, and the recipient of a READ scholarship. She has chosen the Bio-Maths stream, comprising six subjects: Tamil, English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Sandhya first heard about the scholarship programme from her sister, at a time when their single-parent household struggled to afford even basic school supplies.
“READ helped reduce the burden on my mother and sister,” she says. After losing her father at a young age, her family’s finances were stretched thin. Despite her mother and older sister working as daily wage labourers, important school materials remained beyond their means before READ stepped in. The scholarship supplied new books and stationery, making it easier for Sandhya to study and work towards her goal of becoming a doctor, a decision inspired by her father’s illness. She plans to pursue further education and eventually earn a PhD in psychology.
“My greatest desire is to help people,” Sandhya says. “There are a lot of individuals who don't have access to medicine and healthcare. I hope people will start to realise how important education is.” With support from READ, she is now gathering the resources she needs to continue her studies, and her dream of joining the medical field finally feels within reach.
The Headmistress at St. Britto’s, Sahai Mary, has seen firsthand how the READ programme transforms the morale of her young students. As well as preparing them for professional success, it gives them hope, a tangible goal, and emotional tools to help process the difficult experiences they have faced. “READ initiated group therapy and other activities to encourage the students to interact and uplift each other,” she explains. “That's when the children started speaking more freely.”
Along with her colleagues, Sahai Mary has also noticed a shift in how the students communicate with their mentors. “Now, the students are not afraid to bring concerns to their teachers. They speak more confidently, ask questions, and express their worries.” She appreciates how READ fosters meaningful relationships with the girls that extend beyond school hours – tutors offer lessons in their homes, get to know their families, and provide personalised support based on each girl's unique needs.
This, Sahai Mary believes, is especially important for tribal youth, many of whom drop out after tenth grade. “They are a deeply oppressed group,” she says. “In this region, many men still believe that instead of continuing education, young women should be working in local shops, doing manual labour, or getting married as early as twelve to fifteen years old.” It’s rare for girls to complete their schooling here, but READ stands as a powerful symbol of progress and gender equality. “If a girl is educated, it's as if the whole family is educated. It doesn't just mean the betterment of a family; it benefits society at large.”
Beyond reducing school drop-out rates and preventing child marriage and child labour, READ instils a sense of pride and purpose in marginalised youth. “I believe everyone should be able to find dignity in their work and be informed about their rights,” says Karuppusamy. Guided by its motto, ‘Life With Dignity,’ READ ultimately hopes to help empower all women in Tamil Nadu. “We are taking the right steps to get to our destination,” Karuppusamy adds, “and we will stand strong in that resolve.”
Learn more about READ and find out how to contribute to TOAST Reworn.
Words by Bébhinn Campbell.
Photography by Anupam Diwan.
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