Driven by the school’s Grade 10 cohort in partnership with social enterprise Clothes to Good, the St Henry’s Marist College community collected an astonishing 440 bags of pre-loved clothing earlier this year, weighing in at 2.5 tonnes

The initiative links environmental recycling, employment creation, and early childhood development across KwaZulu-Natal.

“The initiative saw enthusiastic involvement across all grades, with individual and class milestones recognised along the way. As a token of appreciation, every participating student received a discount retail voucher,” shared Tessa Swart, Head of Advancement at St Henry’s Marist College.

The collected items were transported to Clothes to Good’s facility in Centurion, where they were sorted for various uses; i.e., quality garments are sold to independent small-business owners, providing micro-entrepreneurs in local communities with an income stream; damaged or worn items are converted into new products or shredded to serve as stuffing for bean bags and educational toys. Clothes to Good specifically structures its operations to employ people living with disabilities, as well as mothers caring for children with disabilities.

Swart added that the success of the drive earned St Henry’s the opportunity to host a hands-on Toy-Making Workshop for Mandela Day, facilitated on-site by Clothes to Good.

Also read: Berea schools support textile recycling with Clothes to Good

“During the event, students across all grade levels spent 67 minutes at designated stations building educational toys from recycled materials, overseen by Grade 10 leaders. Meanwhile, pre-primary and junior primary pupils planted spekboom in pots crafted from recycled denim bags and decorated with ribbons, creating handwritten cards to accompany the donations,” she said.

Representatives from Early Childhood Development centres serving under-resourced communities, identified with the assistance of the Catholic Schools Office, visited the campus to receive the kits directly. The receiving centres serve areas extending from Warwick Triangle through to Weenen.

Also read: Buying thrifted clothes to help the planet

Tammy Greyling, operations manager at Clothes to Good and a qualified occupational therapist, demonstrated to students how each custom toy was designed to foster specific developmental milestones in early childhood classrooms.

Building on the momentum, St Henry’s has announced its next project: RESTORE, a pre-loved clothing thrift store that will launch at the annual St Henry’s Christmas Market on November 21.

The school is appealing to parents, alumni, and residents for donations of clean, good-quality pre-loved clothing to stock the RESTORE thrift store. Donations can be dropped off directly at the St Henry’s main Reception campus ahead of the November market.

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