Few would argue that we live in a "throw away" society. Cloth is no exception. Sure we give to charities and second hand stores, but should this be the end to our conscientious involvement in recycling our used garments? Do you remember how small closets used to be in houses? They must have been big enough in their day. The owners must have had fewer clothes. Today, many of us have walk-in closets the size of small rooms. And these are full. So we give our out dated garments away to make room for more. The second-hand stores cannot sell everything they receive. Some haul their excess to landfills, others resell vast quantities to wholesalers.
Thus enters mitumba (Kenyan for 2nd hand clothes), also know as "dead white-man's clothes". Called so because of the thought that only someone who died would give up such nice garments. Thousands of tons of American's excess clothes end up in Africa. At first appearance this seems like an admirable and noteworthy endeavor. On closer scrutiny, there is a huge controversy. In short, our clothing excess is affecting many countries own textile industries and traditional way of dress. Is this right or wrong? Check out these links:
