Started in 2010 by three college students, A Ban Against Neglect strengthens impoverished rural communities in Ghana, West Africa. Small plastic bags full of water, or “water sachets,” are Ghana’s primary source of safe drinking water. Lack of environmental awareness causes more than 40 tons of these bags to be thrown in the streets every single day. ABAN creates one-of-a-kind products through the process of up-cycling these discarded water sachets and combining them with recycled glass and traditional Ghanaian batik fabrics. Proceeds from our products fund the ABAN Women’s Empowerment (AWE) program, which prevents at-risk single mothers near Ghana’s capital city from becoming homeless. We strengthen each mother’s existing family connections and teach her to nurture her child, find secure job opportunities and invest in her community.