Bhavesh Patel, 28, has founded Storyteller – a Birmingham based start-up that donates 10% of its profits to educational projects in underprivileged countries.

Whilst travelling to Asia and South America, Bhav gained a first-hand perspective on the world’s problems and met a number of adults who were completely illiterate and could not even read or write a single sentence. Currently, there are 750 million adults around the world, who are completely illiterate. His new venture, Storyteller, aims to create a long-term solution to this crisis, by selling its flagship product, the FlagMate travel keyring, as well as eco-friendly bamboo t-shirts.

The Storyteller team also help run educational projects around the world by volunteering with their charity partners – The Barefoot College and The Hope Foundation.

Bhav, from Great Barr, said: “I’ve witnessed some incredible sights whilst travelling, but it’s also opened my eyes to the fact that millions of people all over the world still do not have access to basic education.”

He added: “My vision for Storyteller is to create high-quality travel accessories that inspire people to see the world, whilst sharing our profits, skills and resources with like-minded charities, to make a real difference in the world.

“Our motto is simple; ‘Travel More, Do Good’. Every single Storyteller product purchased will help to empower less privileged communities to become self-sufficient and enjoy a more promising future.”

Hand-crafted at a local factory in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, Storyteller’s stylish FlagMate keyring has been designed to help travellers capture their special memories. Adventurers are encouraged to add to their FlagMate by purchasing a flag of each new country they visit, with the added option to include an engraved message on the back – the perfect memento to showcase their chapters of exploration.

A full FlagMate, complete with thirty flags, will help Storyteller’s charity partners to educate an individual for an entire month, supporting Storyteller’s overall vision to impact 1,000,000 lives.

Sue Stevenson, Director of International Development at Barefoot College, which operates in 93 countries worldwide, said: “Our main objective is to spread sustainability, one woman at a time, one village at a time, and we’re delighted to have Storyteller’s support in helping us achieve our goal.

“We look forward to working with Bhav and the Storyteller team to break the cycle of poverty, by supporting our educational programmes for children and our focused knowledge and skill workshops from which thousands of people benefit each year.”