Recycling creates development
Recycling creates development
The objective of DAPP Malawi’s 2ndHand Clothes and Shoes sales is to contribute to economic development, make clothes and shoes available and raise the standard of living of especially the poor people.
Sales of good quality used and recycled clothing raises funds for development projects in Malawi while thus transforming items that had zero value for the previous owners to a considerable value for the new owners and for other people who are active in creating development.
The recycled clothing business has contributed significantly to the empowerment of the rural communities and improved the lives of the vulnerable and The Poor, the children and youth, women and men in the rural communities of Malawi.
By providing quality clothes and shoes from 34 sales outlets throughout Malawi, we continue to make a positive contribution to the communities by providing clothes and shoes at affordable prices.
Our efforts have, in Malawi, created employment for more than 250 direct personnel employed in our clothing processing, transporting and clothing selling shops. Moreover about 4.000 customers and their approximately 8.000 assistants are doing business in local markets across the country. Entrepreneurship has been triggered in the rural communities by making an important trade item available, making it possible to achieve an increase in trading and a more business environment in such communities.
The business model of clothing sales has contributed to the socio-economic development of the society through supporting small business ventures. Such ventures received a lot of support which was witnessed by some of our customers taking part in our capacity building initiatives. The initiatives were targeting empowering the customers into business minded micro-enterprising, managing their finance, use of basic systems which act as checks and balances, getting to know alternative ways to source funding to support their business liquidity among others. Such courses were made possible through guest facilitators from banks, micro finance institutions and seasoned entrepreneurs.
DAPP Malawi has donated clothing to communities affected by natural disasters and other emergencies and occasionally to various groups and individuals rendering care and support to the most vulnerable.
On the social side, there has been a lot of awareness and community mobilization combined with the clothes sales to prevent our customers from becoming victims of HIV and AIDS or becoming able to better manage a life living with HIV. The knowledge about prevention HIV and AIDS and handling of the disease were communicated to the customers during customer-interactive days we call “open days”. Key emphasis is on the message of participating in voluntary HIV testing.
As DAPP Malawi we also see our chain of clothing retail shops and wholesale shops as an activism in the fight against global warming. Reuse of clothes reduces the carbon emission.
In the bigger picture, the main importance is to raise funding to aid our actions in community development.
September 2016
