People hold a wide range of opinions on volunteer work, including that it translates to a chore. But getting to know the amazing volunteers who run Chic Mamas Do Care Durban, we can’t overstate just how flawed this perspective is. Debbie Macpherson tells us why you need to raid your wardrobe for this group’s brilliant initiative.
Chic Mamas Do Care is a NPO founded by Abigél Sheridan in the Mother City in 2010, with the aim to improve the scale of support towards early childhood education in the country. With the help of a few close friends, she started to host exclusive fashion exchange parties at her home, applying the charity shop concept to high quality fashion. The clothing became the tool to mobilise the community and the goodwill started to grow.
“Given that most women love buying clothes and most also had items they could donate, it seemed like a perfect solution to raising money to support poverty and early childhood development projects in local communities. The concept soon branched out to Johannesburg and Durban,” says Debbie, who helms Durban’s retail outlet in Hillcrest.
“We strongly believe that every child should be given the opportunity to grow in a safe and stimulating environment. Early Childhood Development (ECD) plays an essential role in the fight to eliminate poverty. It helps to reduce social and gender inequality and enhances the child’s potential to contribute economically to society in the future.”
Locally there are about 22 volunteers from all walks of life, each bringing their own unique value to the organisation. As a team dedicated to ECD, these fabulous mamas are proof of an unwavering passion that extends beyond the walls of their homes. They are out every day to make a difference. And, not only do they leave lasting impressions on the young lives they have helped, they have also made life-long friends within their circles and wonderful connections with others outside of it.
“We still need all the help we can get to spread the word so that we can continue to change little lives.” With loving concern Debbie explains that many impoverished children enter the school system physically, socially, cognitively and emotionally under-developed, and they lack the foundations to cope with literacy, numeracy and life-skills at school. Thanks to the ongoing vision, mission and commitment of the Chic Mamas volunteers, a difference to the future of children at Umzamo Day Care Centre in Reservoir Hills, Zamokhule Creche and Preschool in KwaDabeka, and Sphethamandla Preschool and Creche in Clermont, is being experienced.
The organisation recognises that it is vital for teachers to be equipped with the skills and insights that enable their calling to be the most effective. To this end, a large portion of funding is invested in training on three levels: tertiary, non-accredited and ongoing recognised ECD courses. The organisation also funds the maintenance and structural development required by these growing preschools that they have installed, and this year they hope to expand their ECD footprint into the surrounds of Hillcrest.
“In the last two years, our project scope has also expanded to sponsoring fortified porridge for all our schools, due to the withdrawing of sponsorship by their corporate donors. There are extensive needs amongst the ‘unseen’ communities right on our doorsteps, so we select projects where we can add great value and inject hope into the lives of children that we are able to touch.”
And just how do they do it? “Most of our fundraising is done through the sale of good quality preloved clothing. Our shop has regular stock turnover thanks to ongoing donations of good quality preloved clothing, handbags , shoes and accessories by our generous community, and our monthly Swap4Charity concept, whereby on the second weekend of each month, customers can bring four to six quality items in exchange for ‘gratitude tokens’ of a nominal value to spend in-store.”
Debbie says the preloved concept also promotes conscious shopping habits by facilitating the reuse and recycling of quality clothing, handbags, shoes and accessories, while also lightening the environmental footprint, contributing to the circular economy and supporting sustainability.
“The global fashion industry is the world’s second biggest polluter and buying preloved is one of the best eco-friendly lifestyle changes individuals can make. Think about it this way … by supporting us, not only are you helping us to change young lives for the better, but you are also able to take advantage of a regular wardrobe overhaul, without doing damage to the world around us.”
You can visit the Chic Mamas Do Care Durban shop at The Colony Shopping Centre, Hillcrest, Mondays to Fridays, from 10am to 4pm and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm. Donations can be dropped off at the shop or at Tysons Property in Hillcrest, or Wakefields Property and St. Elizabeth’s Pre-Primary School in Westville. The collection of donations can also be arranged.
Details: Follow them on FB: Chic Mamas Do Care Durban or IG: chicmamas_durban
