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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – A new charity called the “Believe in Yourself Project” is helping to fight cyber bullying and replace the poor body image that afflicts many girls and women. This image is heightened by what the traditional fashion industry deems as beautiful: Women are expected to appear a certain way and live up to a manufactured and unrealistic notion of what beauty is. At the same time, strained finances can prevent many girls from keeping up with what’s trending or cool, making them feel isolated among their friends for not being able to afford clothing that is deemed as “in” socially.
In an attempt to fight cyber bullying, promote a positive body image and lower the financial burden on families to purchase dresses for school dances, Sam Sisakhti founder of online fashion site www.ustrendy.com has created the ” Believe in Yourself Project.” The aim is to help women feel better about themselves and their physical attributes and to promote healthy self esteem among young girls at an early age, empowering these young women to take on active social roles within their school communities.
Over the past year, Believe in Yourself has given formal dresses to underprivileged high school girls and college students across the country, for them to wear at their school dances. Donations began last winter, and Believe in Yourself reports that many of the girls in the program have had the self confidence to attend their first school dance.
The Believe in Yourself Project is part of a broader initiative. The charity also invites various influential women who at one time or currently have struggled with body image, encouraging them to serve as speakers and mentors to the various girls within the program.
Dress donations are tied to the girls’ progress in achieving goals. Each girl receives their first dress based on need and from there they are entered into a system where they are then tracked to see their progress, whether towards improving their academics or pursuing an extracurricular interest such as music, dance, sports, etc. and Believe in Yourself provides the girls dresses for any upcoming events they have during the school year.
“Ultimately, the Believe in Yourself Project seeks to make people feel comfortable in their own skin and not let physical or financial insecurities or limitations affect their confidence.” says Founder Sam Sisakhti