Mythbusters Vol. 1 – Clothing Donations
Greetings all,
In our line of work, there are many instances of well intentioned, generous-hearted people wanting to contribute positively and help make a difference to a certain situation. Unfortunately, despite best intentions, these contributions can actually end up having a detrimental effect on the communities they are trying to help.
Mythbusters will aim to shed light on examples of these situations in the context of the aid/charity sector. We hope you find these informative and entertaining, and welcome suggestions for any other topics you’d like us to cover.
First up from guest blogger, TUSP Chief Financial Officer and all-round good egg Kinga Pecak, shedding light on the complexities of clothing donations in the developing world. Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado:
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We at TUSP aim to help in the development of education infrastructure in a sustainable way that does not inhibit the opportunities of the brilliant locals, but rather complements the wants and needs of those that actually live here. There are many misconceptions about the the best way to “help” people here that actually hurt development rather than promote it. One question we often get asked is about donating clothes and shoes.
We commend the intentions of everyone who wants to donate clothes and shoes to try to alleviate poverty. It seems like a great idea…. we see photos of shirtless and shoeless children and worn out clothing on adults so why not send them clothes and shoes? But looking at the this on a larger scale this can actually hinder rather than help.
Below are 3 key points on why this doesn’t quite work out:
The second hand market is already a huge market on the continent. 70% of all donated clothes globally end up on the African continent. In Uganda, 80% of all clothing purchases are from second hand vendors. This situation already creates a dependency on the west and with more clothes and shoes (both new and second hand) being brought in to be given away, even the second hand vendors start losing customers.
Large amounts of second hand clothes coming into the continent have contributed to the decline of local textile and clothing manufacturers and weakens demand for locally made items. Policies that encouraged liberal markets, poor infrastructure and unstable central government are also contributing factors, but some studies directly link increased second hand imports being responsible for 39% of the decline in apparel production and employment.
Giving away clothes and shoes contributes to attitudes of aid dependency. TOMS shoes is well known for their buy a pair give a pair pair program. After coming under scrutiny from the development world, the company did its own study on the effects of its program and didn’t like what they saw. In the study, it found that 79% of children who were given a pair of shoes agreed that others should provide for the needs of their family; 66% of children who did not receive shoes but know about these programs agreed that others should provide for the needs of their families. Not only were local businesses put in jeopardy, it teaches young people reliance on western aid rather than create their own futures.
As Michael Matheson Miller, director of PovertyCure and producer of the documentary Poverty Inc, said, “The best way to help is to ask yourself “How do people create prosperity for their families, and then, how can I assist with that?””
The TUSP team makes sure to purchase whatever is available in country from local vendors for our programs and do not practice mass disbursements of foreign purchased items. What seems like a generous and noble activity can actually end up causing more harm than good.