Levi Strauss Foundation | Levi Strauss & Co.

Jul 03 2012

Standing Up to Discrimination

On the day Kamon Uppakaew discovered he was HIV positive, he was dealt with another blow.He was discriminated against and denied employment because of his HIV status.Since then, Kamon has committed himself to fighting for the equal rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Posted By: Stan Wong, Levi Strauss Foundation, Asia Pacific

May 23 2012

A Woman Who Makes Our Clothes

It takes one motorboat ride and a half-hour walk through the Guatemala highlands to get to my job every morning, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.My name is Delia Mendoza. I work for Mercado Global, a cutting-edge nonprofit, Fair Trade organization that connects indigenous Guatemalan women like me to sales opportunities in the United States.

Posted By: Delia Mendoza, Mercado Global

Mar 29 2012

Celebrating Courage

“I was dead when I got to WORLD, but it has saved my life,” one woman living with HIV/AIDS said.She’s part of WORLD, short for Women Organized to Respond to Life-threatening Disease, an organization that has supported women living with HIV/AIDS in Northern California for the past 20 years.Organizations like WORLD link women to health and social services that help them cope with the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, which can have as many harmful consequences as the virus itself.

Posted By: Jorge Cino, Levi Strauss Foundation

Dec 27 2011

A Better Manager, A Better Person

Does HIV/AIDS training in the workplace make any difference? Just ask Goa Hongli.Goa, pictured immediately below, is a factory manager from China, working in an apparel factory in the tiny African country of Lesotho.

Posted By: Brandee Butler, Levi Strauss Foundation Program Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa

Nov 22 2011

Breaking Down Barriers

Equality comes in all shapes and sizes – sometimes, it may even come in the form of a savings account.19-year-old Imre, pictured above, lives in Hungary with his mother and four younger siblings. He is also a qualified mason and the breadwinner of his family. As a man of Roma descent, however, he faces discrimination when applying for a job or credit.

Posted By: Dorota Gutkowska, General Manager, Eastern Europe Group and Levi Strauss Poland

Jul 13 2011

Social Pioneers? We Think So, Too.

When you’re in this line of work, pushing for equality for all, you know a pioneer when you see one.The Levi Strauss Foundation started its Pioneers in Justice initiative last year, setting out to support five of the most dynamic, next-generation leaders in the social justice field -- a field advocating for equal rights and opportunities for women, immigrants and other marginalized groups in the United States.

Posted By: Daniel Lee, Executive Director, Levi Strauss Foundation

Oct 19 2010

Save It, Kids.

When’s the last time you heard a teenager talk about his small business and the people he employed. Perhaps…never?It happened to me just recently. In fact, I listened to two teenagers talk about the difference savings and financial education had made in their lives. One spoke of his lawn care business and his five employees. He wrote the business plan, saved for the expenses and still managed to pay for college. The other, a high school student from Connecticut, saved for three CDs – as in Certificates of Deposit.

Posted By: Bob Friedman, Corporation for Enterprise Development

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