On 19 May, FLY@UP hosted its winter clothing drive, which consisted of thrifted clothes. The drive took place during the Ready 4 Exams activations. Donation bins were placed all around campus from the beginning of the week so that both students and staff members could donate their pre-loved, clean, and ready-to-wear clothes.
FLY@UP coordinator Tayla Jonker said that they have always been known to give students free exam care packages, but this year they decided to also host a “thrift drive to allow students to also shop for free winter clothing, should they need it”. It is the large amount of donations that they received that allowed for this free-of-charge thrift store, and because of the large turnout, she hopes they host it every semester.
Various students, who only knew about the drive when they arrived on campus, said they were attracted by the fact that the clothes were free, but with the long queue they doubted they would get anything they really wanted. One student, Hopolang, also commented on how this was useful, especially for students who lost their belongings in the KZN floods. Other students also highlighted that thrifting is not only cheaper but is also more sustainable for the environment.
Photos: Anneke Laaks