Saturday, June 14, 2008

New news about value village

For those who know me really well know that I love shopping at value village. There are two main reasons. First being that I think its good to re-use clothes. Its better for the environment! You can find good things there that would otherwise just go to the garbage... (or go to africa as I am learning first hand... but I will get to that!) The second main reason why I like value village is because I am a poor candadian student who needs to be a cheap-ass!!!! :)

so...... the new news about value village... im not so happy about them anymore!! almost all the clothes i have bought since I am been in Malawi has come from there. when they and places like sally ann have too much clothes they ship it across on boats to africa and sell it by the pound. so theres all kinds of stuff from value village. interesting how interconnected we are eh?!
There are also stuff coming from other european countries and Australia etc. Plus on top of all of that clothes.. there is all the clothes that is all the clothing aid that is just given freely!
but the reason i dont really like it is because it really does totally undermine any chance of a developing country to start a sustainable textile industry. there are lots of taylors... but they cant do very well cause there is some much clothes already made being shipped in.
I never knew.thought about this before I was at pre-departure training in Toronto. We had a question and answer session with George Roter, Co-headman of EWB! This issue got raised there... To come just ashort few days afterwards and see it for myself was pretty interesting!

I can honestly say I could have left Canada with one outfit and dressed for 4 months looking like I had brought everything from Canada!

Just some food for thought! hope it feeds some of someones hunger for knowledge!!
much love everyone!!

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