
Lightly worn clothing donated by the public, up-cycled and resold will benefit girls from disadvantaged backgrounds as the proceeds from the sales will go to an educational fund.

Ray Maota
An education fund will be set up from the proceeds of the sales of lightly worn clothing donated by the public. A non-profit organisation that trades fashion for education, For Black Girls Fashion Trade, is behind the initiative.
Launched at the end of 2016, For Black Girls Fashion Trade collects lightly worn clothing donated by the public, up-cycles the items with the input of up-and-coming fashion designers, and resells the clothing for a profit. This profit is then invested in an education fund that is used to help black girls from disadvantaged backgrounds with school fees, school books, school uniforms, school shoes, sanitary products, mentorship, and career and life guidance.
For Black Girls Fashion Trade is a coming together of young, black women who want to give back to black communities, especially young girls.
These women are: founder, marketing and communications director Nasiphi Fazi, digital marketing director Hlumisa Mbanga, and financial director Kuhle Dumeduze.
Their initiative was well received by the media; so much so in fact, that before the trio had even launched the organisation, Fazi was being interviewed on national TV.
“I polished up a press release that had sat on my desktop and mailed it to TV shows and radio stations and then a national TV breakfast show called that same day,” she said.
She added: “We had to buckle up. So we started Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. We bought a domain and launched the website.”
The public can arrange a donation by visiting For Black Girls Fashion Trade or emailing info@forblackgirlsfashion.com
Launching the organisation
Given the flurry of interviews and interest, the partners had to launch the organisation quickly.
The launch took place on 4 November 2016 at the GSB MTN Solution Space in Philippi, in Western Cape.
Fazi said: “We just had to hustle. We got Shoprite Checkers to cater for the event and Cape Town College of Fashion Design came on board for the upcycling of the clothes. A friend who works with fibreglass brought us mannequins, and we got GSB MTN Solutions Space to let us use their venue in Philippi.”
At the intimate evening, attended by close friends and family, as well as business partners and sponsors, the 50 guests could make their first donation, learn more about the organisation and bid for an item of clothing. The proceeds were donated to the cause.
The reception the initiative received means the team now has to juggle their careers as well as the organisation, while trying to make sense of their own lives.
“The publicity got us to a place where we had to pull our socks up because we’re in the public eye, and that’s what I like – it motivates me and gets me going,” said Fazi.
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