Are second-hand clothes charity or pollution?

A mitumba trader at a Nyeri market. [File, Standard]

On a day I am very smart, and you mention it, I am likely to be honest with you: My designer stuff are probably imported from the West, except that they were shipped as bales. Having an eye for designer stuff makes some difference.

Second-hand clothes are a source of livelihood for many. According to "Job Creation in Africa's Second-hand Clothing Sector", a study commissioned by Humana People to People development network, the sector directly employs over 1.28 million people in Africa, with up to 2.5 million "dependent on income from the sector". Some dealers have accessed credit and done massive projects, while tax revenues from the sector is key to Africa's economic growth.