Every Wednesday, the little town of Namwera explodes. Temporary stalls and display racks are erected along the main street and vendors bring their wares. It is market day!
There are fruit and vegetable stalls: tomatoes and masau from Mangochi. A butcher with dripping cuts of beef and goat. Dried fish from Lake Malombe and Malawi. Brightly colored chitenjis (the wraps the women wear), and occupying by far the largest section are the piles of reject clothing from the global north.
Every market that I have passed in driving through Malawi has its piles of western cast offs. I would guestimate that at least 75% of the people I see are wearing our rejects. I have seen t-shirts from Yellowstone Nat'l Park, Texas Honey Baked Ham, and a Presbyterian Staff shirt.
That we are clothing the "poor people in Africa," is not really something to celebrate. You see, most towns also have at least one tailor (little Namwera sports three tailor shops that I know of) who craft beautiful custom clothes in uniquely African styles and fabrics. These tailors are sadly out competed by the bales of second hand clothes that are shipped in by the ton from the global north. Not only jobs, but diverse culture and creativity are being list due to our Mass produced and rejected fashion industry.
So, please think carefully about your wardrobe. Please wear your clothes until they are worn out, and let's stop using the third world as our dumpster.
Read more about the issue here: https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/return-to-sender-bobby-kolades-new-collection-upcycles-ugandas-secondhand-clothing-for-the-global-north#
I wish I had more pictures, but the merchants at the Namwera market don't like having their picture taken. The picture is of another town's markets that I have passed while driving between places, hence the poor picture quality.
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