VYIM is a small clothing brand based in Québec. Behind every piece of the VYIM GRATITUDE Collection there is a second project that matters just as much to me: La Fondation Gratitude, the humanitarian foundation we created to help children and families in need in Cameroon. This is the story of both, told as plainly as I can: why they exist, what has been done on the ground, how the 5% works, and where we honestly stand today.
Why I founded VYIM
VYIM did not start as a business plan. It started with a word. During a difficult stretch of my life, I kept coming back to one simple practice: every day, write down a few things I was grateful for. Over time, gratitude stopped being an idea and became a habit, the thing that kept me grounded on the hardest mornings.
Clothing felt like the most natural way to carry that habit. A hoodie stays on your body for hours. A word printed on it does not need to be read by anyone else to do its work: you know it is there. That is the idea behind the VYIM GRATITUDE Collection: heavyweight essentials, clean cuts, and one small reminder of what matters, worn every day.
I also wanted a brand that does not chase trends. No drops built on manufactured scarcity, no new collection every season. A few pieces, made to last, in calm colors that go together. The collection grows slowly, when a new piece has earned its place.
Why La Fondation Gratitude
For me, gratitude was never meant to stay private. Being grateful for what you have leads to a simple question: what can I give back? La Fondation Gratitude is my answer to that question. Its motto says it in a few words: give a smile, change a life.
The foundation works in health, education, the fight against hunger and support for vulnerable communities, with a focus on children in Cameroon. It runs with volunteers on the ground. We do not hand the money to a large organization that redistributes it somewhere we cannot see. We choose a place, we meet the people who run it, we bring what they need, and we publish what we did, with photos.
What we have done on the ground
Here are the foundation’s actions so far, from the first one to the most recent. Dates and places are the ones published by La Fondation Gratitude.
December 2022: the Divine Miséricorde orphanage, Douala
Our first action. On December 24, 2022, volunteers brought meals, school kits and Christmas gifts to the children of the Divine Miséricorde orphanage in Douala. It was a small beginning, but it set the way we still work today: go there, meet the children, give directly.
January 2024: the ASDA center, Douala
On January 3, 2024, the foundation organized a charity action at the ASDA center in Douala, which cares for children with Down syndrome, autism and epilepsy. The team delivered food supplies for the children and the families who look after them.
August 2024: the Laquintinie hospital, Douala
On August 29, 2024, volunteers handed out parcels in the maternity and pediatrics department of the Laquintinie hospital in Douala. Thanks to donations and to the people who gave their time, mothers and young children received essentials during their stay.
December 2024: the Dibamba leprosy center
At the end of the year, on December 29, 2024, the foundation brought food supplies to the residents of the leprosy center in Dibamba, Cameroon. For people who often live far from everyone else’s attention, a visit matters as much as what is delivered.
March 2026: the Carpe Diem Center, Douala
On March 19, 2026, we spent a full day at the Carpe Diem Center in Maképé, Douala, with the association Espoir Autisme. The center supports children with autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD and other developmental disorders. We officially handed over educational materials, cleaning products and essential equipment, visited the education and therapy spaces, and held an awareness session on autism and inclusion in Cameroon. The day ended with a family photo: children, parents, volunteers and the center’s team, together.
All the photos of these actions, and the latest contribution sent to the foundation, are on our Impact page.
How the 5% works
5% of every VYIM order goes to La Fondation Gratitude. Not 5% of profits, which can easily be zero for a young brand, but 5% of every order. It is built into the price of each piece from the start, so it never depends on a campaign, a promotion or a good month.
In practice, the amount is set aside with every sale and sent to the foundation, which uses it for its next actions on the ground: food, school supplies, medical essentials and equipment for the centers we support. We publish the latest contribution on the Impact page. In October 2026, $350 was sent to the foundation.
Why 5% and not more? Because a promise only matters if it can be kept on every order, for years. Higher numbers look generous in marketing, but they force either a price the brand cannot hold or a quality it cannot deliver. 5% is a number we can keep without cutting corners on the clothes, and that is what makes the whole model work.
Being honest about where we are
VYIM is still a young brand. Sales do not yet cover everything the foundation needs to keep acting on the ground. So, while VYIM is growing, I personally top up the donations, so that the next action does not have to wait for the business to catch up.
I would rather say it plainly than let anyone believe that the 5% alone funds everything you see in this article. Transparency is part of the promise: you should know exactly what your order does, and what it does not do yet.
As the brand grows, the share coming from your orders will grow with it. That is the goal: a collection that funds the foundation on its own, month after month.
What your order does
When you choose a piece from the VYIM GRATITUDE Collection, you get a heavyweight essential made to last, and 5% of your order joins the next action of La Fondation Gratitude. The GRATITUDE Hoodie is the piece that started it all, and the easiest place to begin, with the matching sweatpants and the women’s line.
Thank you for being part of it.
Frequently asked questions
Where is VYIM based?
In Québec (QC), Canada. We ship across Canada.
Where does La Fondation Gratitude work?
Mainly in Cameroon, in Douala and its surroundings, with children and families in orphanages, hospitals and specialized centers.
How can I follow the donations?
The latest contribution and the field actions, with photos, are published on the Impact page.
