On April 24, 2013, the world was rocked by the deadliest factory disaster in the history of the global garment industry. The collapse of Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, claimed the lives of 1132 garment workers and injured over 2000 more. Cracks had appeared in the wall the day before, causing everyone to flee the building for fear it would collapse. However, the next morning, thousands of garment workers were forced to go back to work. Some were told they would be fired if they did not return, others were told they would lose a month’s wages. Forced to choose between providing for their families or risking their lives, thousands of workers returned to work in a building that was clearly unsafe.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, the world was woken to the abhorrent working conditions that garment workers face in Bangladesh. We were shown that behind many of our favourite Australian and International brands, are the lowest paid workers in the world and an industry filled with exploitation, gender discrimination, physical abuse, harassment, and a complete disregard for worker safety.

So, why don’t we just boycott companies that make their clothes in Bangladesh? Because, since its inception, the garment industry has brought about significant social change throughout Bangladesh and has the greatest potential to lift millions of people out of extreme poverty. In particular, the industry has had a profound effect on the lives of women, as they make up over 80% of its 4 million strong workforce. While many of these women are young and vulnerable, they and their families have changed their vision for the future, despite being paid less than their male counterparts. Formal employment allows them to take control over their lives and their income, providing an alternate to early marriage, an education for their children, and a safer, more stable life.

Since the collapse a number of Australian and International Brands have signed on to the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord, which is an amazing, global initiative to improve building and safety issues in the industry. We felt however, that a serious gap was not addressed in regards to the number of other issues plaguing the industry. Hence, MADEgram was born.


MADEgram is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting real and lasting change in the Bangladesh garment industry. Working with local organisations, we are committed to improving education amongst workers about their rights, securing a living wage for all workers, promoting gender equality in the workplace, gaining safe and healthy work spaces for all, and supporting workers right to formal representation through unions and trade organisations. We've designed an app that will allow users to support these changes 'on the go', every time they purchase something that has been Made in Bangladesh.

The MADEgram app will change the way the world shops… and gives.

Quite simply, to develop the app. The madegram app enables you to Make A Difference Every day in the lives of Bangladesh garment workers. Each time you buy an item that has been ‘Made in Bangladesh’; you can simply log in to the app and donate your nominated amount to MADEgram ($1, $5, $10). The app allows people to continue to support an emerging industry that is integral to Bangladesh, whilst at the same time supporting and empowering the workers that make our clothes.

We have an app developer on board for design and development who has determined the funds required to ensure the app is safe and secure for donors. We believe the success of MADEgram depends on the ease on which people can use the app. Our app has been designed to be quick and simple to use, allowing people to donate on a regular basis. In order to do so, the app needs to be able to securely store and manage bank details. It is this extra security that is required that pushes our development costs from $2500 up to $10 000.

Any extra funds raised will go to app upgrades to ensure increased security and to enable us to incorporate new countries and industries as we expand.

As the app has already been designed and budgeted, the biggest challenge will be raising the money in order to develop it. Once the app has been developed it will be free to download on both Apple and Android platforms, making it easy for all our supporters to download and donate. The app is designed to allow users to connect and share their donations through social media which will develop more interest and empower people to donate to support Bangladesh garment workers.

The MADEgram app has the power to shift the way non-profits and charity organisations engage with their supporters. Social media is obviously incredibly important in building strong communities and networks though we feel the next step is to use smartphone technology and app development to take this support to the next level. MADEgram will be somewhat of a guinea pig in this field and while this is not a risk per se, it’s definitely a great adventure!!