To refuse to donate clothes to the school?

[HecatesTwopenceworth]

Got a little bag sent home. Please fill it up with clothes, the school will get a few pence per kilo, the clothes will go to the third world and underdeveloped countries.

All well and good you think, but my husband (kenyan) told me years ago about these companies.

These clothes that we give are not always given to people in need, they are often sold to them. The company makes a profit and the local businesses lose custom, which in such countries makes the difference between eating or not.

So by donating clothes, I am actually helping to ruin the business of someone in the third world, AND lining the pockets of a company that pretends to be helping people in the third world

But the school gets a few quid.

Most schools and organisations 'do' shoeboxes and other external charity things because everyone else does. Most of the time they haven'tbotheredtofindout aren't aware of the philosophy or purpose of the charity in question.

I'm not anti-charity , I just wish that schools and the like would do their research first. If they still choose to go ahead, fine, but they should also pass on information to the parents, etc. about the role/aim of the charity.

Well you learn something every day...

YANBU at all BTW

It's more the lack of transparency that annoys people kimi.

And personally I would rather donate to a charity which did not have a religious agenda. Any religious agenda.

Even other Christian groups and organisations dislike/boycott them.

Charity shouldn't have conditions attached.

It quite clearly says in the leaflet that comes home with the child that they spread the Christian message by way of information in the box.

Although I admit I told a red cross worker to F**k off a few days ago. Not very charitable

I had no idea about any of this! Thanks ladies for the info I'll now be questioning at every turn.

is this the BagsToSchool one - if so they're one of the "better" ones in regards of being how open they are.

Oxfam has a very interesting article here about the pro's and con's of such schemes - on the whole they're not against them as long as they're run properly. (it's very long - but worth a read)

It's just like food aid to some parts of AFrica: eventually local farmers can't compete and stop producing. Which means there's less local food the following year. And more starvation. Which means more food aid.

The best way to help Africa is to invest in well-run local businesses and farms, not dole out stuff. Or sell it for not very much.

I wish some organisation would set up a list of businesses or farms run by women with some track record and we could invest in them.

abraid - read the article - it's worth it honest .

no, some dodgy company called "rags are us"

No charity reg number, a landline that diverts to a mobile, and when I googled them I couldn't find ANYTHING under the name, so I googled the telephone number on the bag and the only info you get is things like the yellow pages where they are listed under rag merchants.

Also, their blurb reads "rags are us is a company that specialises in second hand clothing etc etc .. all donated goods are recycled for use in third world countries and underdeveloped countries.

Now, I know this means they SELL THEM ON and are profiting at the expense of the locals but someone reading that would probably assume they were giving them out!

I should add before I found that article a few months ago I was strongly against all of these companies, but have adjusted my opinions lsightly - but only enough to happily support the Bags2School ones which also give some money back to the schools

couldn't find that article! Wouldn't open. What's it called and what year is it? from this page which is the nearest i can open

Although I am slightly about oxfam too. They are a big business with an interest in keeping themselves going!

Same with nspcc.

There comes a point when a charity becomes about keeping itself running more than about what it was originally set up to do.

Or maybe I'm just a cynical old bag

ermm hang on

The impact of the second-hand clothing trade on developing countries - 2004.

It's a general report (long one) rather than based on any of their activities iykwim.

faq - thanks for that link. Changed my perception too. After years of refusing to do it.

what about their paper on how rich country protectionism in textiles and clothing trade prevents poverty alleviation - also 2004.

In that one, they are saying how developing countries need to develop their own industries and export as a way out of poverty!! companies here selling them second hand clothing is not helping that at all, is it? Goes back to what I said about damaging local businesses.

And I STILL can't find one in 2004 called impact of second hand clothing trade on developing countries! [blind as a bat emoticon]

ah, s'ok. found it.

ok, am reading through. My first point would be that it talks about the employment - well, if industry was built up, then there would be the same employment and more making items for the national market AND for export, they'd have more power and control, have something more to offer. They'd be trading as equals, as a nation, instead of working for these overseas companies. At the moment, we are encouraging economic dependence!

Still not changed my mind that this is a bad thing!

Still won't be giving any clothes!

'The christmas shoes boxes are only given to children whose family convert to christianity '

I have donated for years to an organisation that gives them to children in the Cape Flats (South Africa).. yes they are a Christian organisation, and if they tell the kids about Jesus at Christmas (ie: The real reason for Christmas...) then I see no harm in that.

They do NOT have to convert to receive the boxes, this is 100% untrue. Inside the boxes are litte toys etc. but also practical things like toothbrushes, facecloths, soap etc... basic things to you and I, but things they very likely do not have.

So please do donate shoeboxes, as the boxes are MOST welcomed by the kids and have the toy/s that might be the only toy/s she/he ever receives as a child.

well Hecates - tbh I wouldn't be giving to the company you've said it is anyhow, not even a "proper" one as far as a I see

and lets not forget - how many clothes and made in the UK today for general sale???? It just doesn't happen any more.

oh don't even get me started on how screwed we are, with our service industry nation full of pop star wannabes but no plumbers and nothing practical to offer the world!

Shall we talk shoes?

Actually, the kids have finished chucking breakfast all over the floor and walls so I had best bugger off and force them into their school uniforms!

oh yes - shoes............

I was so stoooooooooooopid recently. My vicar went on Holiday, I knew she was planning on doing lots of clothes shopping (as she lost loads of weight last year when she was ill), I knew she was going to America.

Did I blooming well think to ask her to pick me up a couple of pairs of Converse while she was there.

NO I DIDN'T ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH