When we think of military patches or the types of patches worn by police officers and firefighters, we often associate them with some sort of uniform. Even when bikers wear their patches they have their own "uniform" of sorts which includes their leather vest or jacket. But sometimes a single embroidered patch takes the place of a uniform altogether. One example comes by way of a humanitarian organization that works with handicapped individuals in Africa.
As much as official uniforms would make this group looked more "professional" the nature of their work is more suited to blue jeans and casual shirts. Not only is that type of clothing more comfortable, it's also more easily and cheaply replaced when it gets worn out. And because of the rugged environment where these individuals work, replacing clothing is a very normal thing. By using an embroidered patch sewn to a shirt, the group can provide identification for its workers that are easily removable and used with new pieces of clothing.
Not only is this a cheap way to keep their workers properly identified, it also affords the group the opportunity to give patches away to clients they serve. It's not much, but for disabled kids in Africa receiving a patch could mean everything. For this group, embroidered patches serve many purposes. Just like biker or military patches, they say something very important about the ones who wear them.
Fortunately, for groups like the African Mission custom patches are fairly easy to come by. Just about any modern embroidered patch manufacturer worth doing business with has the ability to take a customer's digital design and make an attractive embroidered patch from it. And the fact that they are so inexpensive means they are well within the reach of virtually any group that wants them.
