Second Hand Clothes and Shoes Fundraising Project
The revenue DAPP raises from the sale of second hand clothes and shoes supports development projects.
DAPP has 37 shops operating in all the 10 Provinces of Zambia. In 2021 created employment for 412 people.
The shops further yielded benefits through employment in the informal second hand clothing business, which is crucial in providing a modest means of living for many innovative traders who buy clothes at reasonable prices for resale at a profit.
The 2 week cycle sales system that goes along with hourly reduction of prices on selected items, called, “Happy-Hour”, has created an innovative way of attracting a huge customer base leading to achieving of yearly surplus targets.
How second hand clothes fight climate change
According to the World Bank (2019), the textile industry produces 10% of the world’s carbon emission—more than international flights and shipping combined. It’s also the second largest consumer of the world’s water supply.
Reuse of clothes and shoes is very important for the environment and is a very important contribution towards fighting global warming and climate change. It reduces use of natural resources including water for production of new clothes and reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses as a result of reduced waste
DAPP in Zambia is a member of the Federation Humana People to People and receives clothes and shoes donated by millions of people and collected by member organisations in Europe.
The second hand clothes collected and sales provide durable, affordable and good quality clothes to people.
Kay Facts
By buying one Kg of second hand clothes (average 5 items) instead of buying new clothes you reduce CO2 emission with 6.1 Kg.
The textile industry produces 10% of the world’s carbon emission
Clothes donations
Value Addition of the "Pull Downs"
The Clothes Donation is a project funded by the Child Welfare Fund. It focuses on attaining value for the clothes that are unsold after each two-week business cycle from the shops. These clothes are first collected from all the shops countrywide and taken to a ware house in Ndola where they are sorted out in different categories. They are then given out to various groups and individuals under the DAPP Projects for empowerment and income generation.
Beneficiaries of the project
The Donation Project is demand driven. Project leadership and Community Groups under the DAPP Projects can apply for the clothes.
Category 1 clothes can be used directly and are for example giving to pupils in the Children’s Town, to juveniles freezing in the correctional facilities while in remand, to volunteers as a motivation and incentive for their great contribution towards community development and social justice.
Category 2 clothes need value addition and are for example given to DAPP Vocational Training for the students for practical learning sessions.
Category 3 clothes are racks which are given to various groups under DAPPs projects for example Action Groups, Support Groups for People Living with HIV and Youth Groups.
Training of receivers of the rags
406 members from 40 groups were trained in value addition and the best practices were shared between the groups by the Project Leader. The rags are changed into facemasks, mops, hand bags, baby carriers, bed covers, and children’s clothing.
They are even used to make flower pots through dipping the rags into a cement mixture.
In 2021 31,835 Kg of clothes and shoes were distributed to 11 DAPP Projects benefiting 128 community groups and 5,441 people.