Ever wondered what happens to those clothes you donated to Goodwill last year? You may have never been to Africa but chances are, your clothes will.
In Dec 2013, NPR published a story titled The Afterlife of American Clothes. Clothes donated by European and American charities end up in Gikosh, the most popular 2nd-hand clothes market in Kenya, where you can “kit yourself out on the cheap without looking cheap.”
According to an article published on This Is Africa, “practically everyone from Nairobi’s ghettos go to the middle of the Majengo slum, where the clothes are still “in fashion”, thus the market is is influential in dictating the latest fashion trends.”
One shopper says “The world is changing and the people living in the ghetto should not be left behind. The fact that they cannot afford expensive stuff doesn’t mean they can’t dress to impress too.”
After the story was published, the internet help reunite a woman with her 20-year old T-shirt. Why is this Kenian man holding a batmitzvah shirt from 1993?
Apprently, textile recycling is a pretty big deal.
Robert Goode, the owner of Mac Recycling in Baltimore, says textile recycling is a huge international industry. His small warehouse alone ships about 80 tons of clothes each week to buyers throughout the world, including in Central America, South America, Asia, Africa and Europe. “Pretty much you can pick any country and there’s a market for these items,” he says.
Including Albania.
In Albania, the Gabi is quite an interesting phenomenon. Laura, from Blue(r) Highways, who is a Peace Corp Volunteer in Albania, calls it The Glorious Gabi.
“…it seems like someone took all the vintage and used clothing gold out of all the Goodwills and Salvation Army’s of the world and somehow it ended up in Albania. It’s amazing what you can find, but you really have to dig.”
It’s perplexing to her.
“How are these large gabis possibly supported? …I’m in a country that is so focused on appearances and dressing up and having “new” clothes but where do people actually shop? This focus on appearances also carries over to a worry about never being seen doing things that are shameful (or “turp” in Shqip). This leads to the question of the Gabi as “turp.” Is it acceptable for people of a certain social standing (for example, the people I work with at the Bashkia) to shop at the Gabi?”
My parents, who live in Albania, admittingly shop there. My dad loves it but my mother is a highly socialized human (which means she REALLY cares about what people think) so for her it’s a harder pill to swallow. Occasionally she will say “We have a daughter in the US but we shop at Gabi” with slight disappointment and shame (turp). She would love nothing more than for me to ship her a giant package of new, brand name clothes, shoes (those I get her on the regular), hand bags, accessories…but I digress.
So next time you think your action (or inaction) couldn’t possibly affect people living thousands of miles away in a foreign land, think again.
We are more connected than you know.
P.S. Care packages to my mother are welcome 🙂
source npr.com
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