A third-year commerce student at Carleton University has donated a percentage of the profits from his Christian clothing brand to support children affected by the conflict in Palestine.
Inspired by the term “new money” as well as his interest in wealth and equality, Joshua Koshy started his clothing brand, Neo Affluent, in 2019. Koshy committed to donating 15 per cent of the proceeds from his recent January drop to the Palestine Children Relief Fund (PCRF).
“I started really getting closer in my faith because I’m Christian and I felt like the platform that I could have starting a clothing brand, I could use it instead to support and share my faith,” he said.
Koshy said the goal of his brand is to introduce his faith to others and share his ministry.
“As someone who used to live in the Middle East, I have always been aware of the amount of conflict and issues that Palestinian people have faced for the longest time,” Koshy said. “It is a cause that meant a lot to me, and I have attended protests in my personal time.
“One of the biggest things in the Bible is taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves.”
Koshy said it was “heartbreaking” to think about the number of children who have been affected by the Israel-Palestine conflict and his research led him to PCRF.
According to Al Jazeera, at least 46,707 people in Gaza have been killed in the last 15 months, which includes about 18,000 children.
Koshy said he reached out to his high school friend Mazen Khan, who spent last summer in Jordan assisting Jordanians and Palestinians with basic needs. Khan advised Koshy to donate to larger organizations and children’s relief funds, which he said will have “better luck” in getting aid into Gaza
“Donations to organizations, like the PCRF, are instrumental in providing emergency aid to displaced Palestinians in Gaza and also in raising general awareness, especially amongst our generation in the west,” Khan said.
“I think it is an amazing initiative, especially for new businesses and the younger generation to get involved,” Khan added. “We are in this new generation of very entrepreneurial people like Josh who are seeking to create new ideas, new clothing and a new market.”
Grace Tsegakele, a first-year law student at the University of Ottawa, said she loved that the brand was “creative, Christian and modern.” She was one of the brand’s first giveaway winners and eventually bought more clothing herself.
“People always want to evangelize with their word or with singing, but you can evangelize with fashion,” Tsegakele said. “That’s one of the amazing things about Neo Affluent; it’s a creative way of evangelizing. Some people are going to come to church because of the way you were dressed.”
With several humanitarian crises happening in the world, Tsegakele said she believes it’s necessary to give back.
“As Christians, we’re supposed to engage in charity and care about things that are going on around the world.”
Although some questioned Koshy’s decision to donate his profits, suggesting it might not be financially wise for the business, he said he’s determined to use his brand to support a cause he cares deeply about.
“There are innocent children who are being affected by an unnecessary war, and I would like to help them. I think that’s the Christian thing to do.”
A previous version of this article misspelled Grace Tsegakele’s name. The Charlatan regrets the error. This article was last updated on March 25, 2025 to reflect this change.
Featured Image provided by Joshua Koshy.
