Justees-Shirts for Justice

Justees began out of a fusion of compassion for young men suffering from the crippling effects of growing up in poverty, a concern for justice, and an interest in creative expression; particularly through screen-printing. Research has shown that many young men and boys in poor areas of Phnom Penh are turning to drugs as a way to avoid facing the domestic violence and hunger caused by the desperate poverty in which they live. An estimated 40% of boys in these communities end up with drug habits as a response to the violence and destitution of their homes and neighborhoods. When Cambodians are interviewed to assess how to deal with the issues of drugs and alcohol use, domestic violence and other issues of poverty that plague men, two answers to the problem are mentioned again and again – education and employment. Justees is a project in which young men who have kicked their drug habit can work for a fair wage while still continuing their schooling through flexible work hours. At Justees we highly value work as a creative outlet and a means to earn a living. For this reason Justees seeks to operate as a self-funding project, encouraging the staff to see that the better they work the more successful it becomes.T-shirts are made under fair trade conditions by small producers. The young men at Justees are then paid a fair wage to print the shirts with justice messages. Through their work at Justees young men, ages 17-21, are working themselves through school while also gaining valuable life skills that will contribute to their own development and to their communities.