Words: Daniel Costantino on behalf of the MADODT family
In 2010 two of my best friends Chris Vanderkooy and Peter Wilton travelled to Kigali, Rwanda through The Elevation Project, a leadership program that gives youth the opportunity to see and experience challenges that others across the world face on a daily basis. On this trip, Chris and Pete learned so much about Rwanda and met countless people who they can happily call their friends. Upon their return to Canada, they were inspired by what they saw in Rwanda, so they wanted to help their new friends in some way that would change their lives. So, this was the beginning of Make a Difference or Dye Tieing.
What is Make a Difference or Dye Tieing? Well, it is a tie dye t-shirt company, based right here in Vancouver, BC.
What makes us special? All our products are locally and ethically made to be the best quality you can find. Also, 50% of our profits are sent to the Kigali School in Rwanda.
Starting out small MADODT, as we like to call it, was something Chris and Peter developed in order to send money back to Africa, but also something that could be supported locally, here in Vancouver. Joining in the summer of 2012, my other best friend, Burke McGuinness decided to see what Rwanda had to offer, so with Chris, and the Elevation Project, they both made the journey to Africa. This trip made Burke realize that Rwanda was special—these people were so happy with what they had, even though it was less than what we had. It was a touching experience because it is not everyday that you meet people who live in extremely poor conditions, yet feel so blessed and happy to be alive and full of hope for a better tomorrow. So, he decided to join MADODT, to make a difference in these peoples’ lives.
Later in the year, I, Daniel Costantino joined my friends in their pursuit to make a difference in the lives of many Rwandans. We knew this wouldn’t be easy, but it was an endeavor worth pursuing for a cause that means so much to us.
So, after 4 years of being a company, MADODT has become more than we had ever expected! We have been apart of many awesome events in the Lower Mainland, such as City Fest, Keats Camps, WeDay, and more. We continue to fuel the company the best we can and it is always a pleasure having our friends volunteer their time and efforts to help out with the cause.
So, why is MADODT awesome? We don’t just consider ourselves to be awesome, but also our friends here in Vancouver and in Rwanda that makes us awesome! There is no better feeling than being able to help someone and have an impact on their life in some way.We just want to help make a difference in the world, or dye tieing.
Visit madodt.com to learn more
