- Who is Benson?
- From Founder, Matthew Clough
- Benson was a friendly porter who helped me and a group climb Mount Kilimanjaro. He always had a smile on his face and we got to know each other pretty well during our six days together. He was the first to congratulate me after I reached the summit. As we hiked down, I learned he earns between 1 and 2 dollars a day – not enough to put a child through school.
- Why Benson Backpacks was started
- This sobering fact made me realize how lucky I was to have the upbringing I did – where I was born just happened to come with opportunity, like taking a trip half-way around the world to climb a mountain...This stark difference between America and Tanzania inspired me to do something. But what exactly?
- How we got going
- Back home, we researched how to help kids in Tanzania get the education they deserve. When we found Knock Foundation already well established there, doing impactful work, we knew they would be a strong partner that could make the most out of our assistance.
Why Backpacks
Simple. We carry a backpack for school and a ruck sack to climb. So creating a mountain inspired bag to tie the two together seemed like the natural solution.
How we give
$10 from each purchase goes directly to our first partner, Knock Foundation, supporting their education program, which includes:
- Tuition assistance
- School meals
- School supplies
Made in the U.S.A.
Benson Backpacks are made here in California to ensure quality and help create local jobs.