Sababu T-shirt Co.

I’ve had the good fortune to work with Sababu – a socially conscious T-shirt manufacturer in Mali Africa. They needed a brand that had global appeal.

The mark was made to be simple for a global appeal but bold to express the strength of the people.
Empowerment Alleviates Poverty: This illustrates one of Sababu’s core values. I felt the best way to graphically translate such a strong ideal was as a crest.
Hello From Mali: Being based in Mali Africa, I felt it fitting to offer a design that makes their culture apparent. “I NI CE” translates as “Hello” in Bambara, pointing to their spot on the continent.

Canvas T’s

Sababu introduced a line of graphics T’s to help spread their message. This line is called Canvas. They incorporate Sababu’s core values of providing holistic health and hope for their employees. This is how the core values were visualized.

Holistic – The red cross, a universal symbol for health care, sits proudly on the center chest, giving a message to everyone that health care should be readily available for all. The left chest has a realistic illustration of a heart, showing that their compassion is real. This is a company that wear’s its heart on its sleeve, as does this t-shirt. The term “mente et córpore” is latin for “in body and soul.”
Hope – To some, hope may be a complex thing to discover. For others, its apparent right away. But no matter the case, its beautiful when we find it. As in this design that uses the dove as a universal symbol for hope. With all of its intricate parts, the dove may not be apparent for some to see right away.

On the inside of every Sababu shirt is a handwritten code. Entering it on the web site will reveal everyone who’s had a part in making that particular garment. Sababu wants the wearer to know that it’s more than just a t-shirt, but a connection to the lives of others. is an acronym that stands for Together WE DEvelop Life.

Every graphic tee comes with a worker’s profile card with t-shirt fabric attached. Sababu wants the buyer to know that they are purchasing a shirt with life behind it. The piece of fabric is suggested to be worn as a badge of support.

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