consulting firm. anthony: as i understand it, there used to be 500,000 manufacturing jobs in kenya. textile manufacturing. and there s now 20,000. njeri: before the 80s, we had a booming textile industry that could employ 500,000 people. but now in the 80s, when the world bank introduced the free trade, we got all the secondhand clothes coming into the country. anthony: here s how it works. your pants or your t-shirt get old or boring. so, being a good-hearted soul, rather than throw them out, you drop them in a charity box, assuming they ll go to someone who needs them. but no. in fact, that charity sells your pants and your t-shirt along with a whole lot of other clothes in bulk to a secondhand clothing exporter, a middle man, part of a billion-dollar industry.
director at a creative consulting firm. anthony: as i understand it, there used to be 500,000 manufacturing jobs in kenya. textile manufacturing. and there s now 20,000. njeri: before the 80s, we had a booming textile industry that could employ 500,000 people. but now in the 80s, when the world bank introduced the free trade, we got all the secondhand clothes coming into the country. before that, they were actually for charity. they were meant for the poor people. anthony: here s how it works. your pants or your t-shirt get old or boring. so, being a good-hearted soul, rather than throw them out, you drop them in a charity box, assuming they ll go to someone who needs them. but no. in fact, that charity sells your pants and your t-shirt along with a whole lot of other clothes in bulk to a secondhand clothing exporter, a middle man, part of a billion-dollar industry. exporters then sell your stuff by the container load to places
it s dynamic, it s changing, and it s incredible. kenya by kenyans, for kenyans. but hurdles exist. bizarre, almost surreal ones in this case. mitumba, for instance. also known as the clothing of dead white people. njeri: 70% of africans are wearing secondhand clothes. if we can just make our own clothes and make them cheap enough, and make the money and keep the money. anthony: njeri gikera is the owner of chili mango, an all-kenyan street wear company. melissa mbugua is a managing director at a creative consulting firm. anthony: as i understand it, there used to be 500,000 manufacturing jobs in kenya. textile manufacturing. and there s now 20,000. njeri: before the 80s, we had a booming textile industry that could employ
it s incredible. kenya by kenyans, for kenyans. but hurdles exist. bizarre, almost surreal ones in this case. mitumba, for instance. also known as the clothing of dead white people. njeri: 70% of africans are wearing secondhand clothes. if we can just make our own clothes and make them cheap enough, and make the money and keep the money. anthony: njeri gikera is the owner of chili mango, an all-kenyan street wear company. melissa mbugua is a managing director at a creative consulting firm. anthony: as i understand it, there used to be 500,000 manufacturing jobs in kenya. textile manufacturing. and there s now 20,000. njeri: before the 80s, we had a booming textile industry that could employ 500,000 people. but now in the 80s, when the world bank introduced the free
which is to say this is decidedly not a shithole. it s dynamic, it s changing, and it s incredible. kenya by kenyans, for kenyans. but hurdles exist. bizarre, almost surreal ones in this case. mitumba, for instance. also known as the clothing of dead white people. njeri: 70% of africans are wearing secondhand clothes. if we can just make our own clothes and make them cheap enough, and make the money and keep the money. anthony: njeri gikera is the owner of chili mango, an all-kenyan street wear company. melissa mbugua is a managing director at a creative consulting firm. anthony: as i understand it, there used to be 500,000 manufacturing jobs in kenya. textile manufacturing. and there s now 20,000. njeri: before the 80s, we had a booming textile industry