JoJo for She's the First. Photo by Chamber Images.
Ready for some breaking news? We first wanted to share it with you — our blog readers and biggest supporters — before anyone else…our bracelets are available for sale TODAY! Here’s the official press release:
NEW YORK — Fill in the blank: I’m the first in my family to __________. For millions of girls in the developing world, the answer is likely to be “first to graduate.” But they need your support to stay in school, because usually their education is not free and is considered secondary to that of their brothers. To fundraise for their tuition, on November 1, She’s the First, a nonprofit dedicated to sponsoring girls’ education worldwide, is teaming up with Billboard Top 40 artist JoJo and Atlanta-based designer Asha Patel to launch a signature bracelet, just in time for the holiday gift giving season.
“As a young woman, I feel it is my duty to encourage and support other young girls in need so they, too, can have an equal opportunity to learn and grow,” JoJo said. “I am honored to be a part of She’s The First and help raise awareness for such a worthy and important cause.”
Available now for purchase through shesthefirst.org/gifts!
The hand-assembled She’s the First bracelets, made of brass and leather, are available for order via shesthefirst.org/gifts starting on October 15 for $20 each. Asha will donate 20% from each sale to two She’s the First partners of her choosing: the Shanti Bhavan school in India and the Kenya Education Fund. This money will sponsor the education of girls who otherwise would not be able to afford tuition, contributing to two of the Millennium Development Goals that the United Nations strives to achieve by 2015: universal education and gender equality. Shesthefirst.org features a directory of carefully selected international non-profit organizations through which you can fully or partially sponsor a year of a girl’s education with the profits of your creative, affordable fundraising.
“Education has always been very close to my heart. I have witnessed firsthand the benefits it brings to a young woman’s life and am thrilled and touched to be part of this special project,” Patel said.
Together, we can be the first generation to ensure the 600 million adolescent girls growing up in the developing world receive an education. What will you be the first to do? Declare it, and then wear a reminder on your wrist with the She’s the First benefit bracelet. To see an exclusive video from JoJo about She’s the First and learn how to purchase the bracelet, go to shesthefirst.org/gifts.
About She’s the First
She’s the First promotes the importance of educating girls, especially in the developing world. We send girls to school around the globe by encouraging young people to unlock the power of their social networks and creatively fundraise for sponsorships, giving underprivileged girls the means to break barriers. Most will be the first in their family to graduate.
About Asha Patel Designs:
Designer Asha Patel believes history shapes us. “Where we have been and what we have done help us grow,” said the Atlanta-based designer. The importance of the past and hope for the future serve as inspiration for her jewelry. Designing with symbolism and sentiment, mixing eastern tradition with western flair, her pieces do more than just dangle daintily on your neck or wrist—they mean something.
About JoJo:
Joanna “JoJo” Levesque is an international recording artist, songwriter, and actress. She shot to fame with her multi-platinum debut album “JoJo” and her #1 hit “Leave (Get Out).” At the age of 13, JoJo was setting records as the youngest solo artist in U.S. history to have a #1 single and the youngest nominee ever for an MTV Video Music Award for “Best New Artist.” Her follow up release, “The High Road,” also garnered JoJo platinum success with its lead single, “Too Little Too Late,” which broke the Billboard record for the biggest jump in the history of the Billboard charts—from #66 to #3 in just one week. JoJo’s acting credits include co-starring role in the Twentieth Century Fox Film Aquamarine, alongside Emma Roberts, and RV, starring Robin Williams, which opened #1 at the Box Office.
For high-resolution images and interviews, please contact tammy@shesthefirst.org.
