Outreach: Muse x KOB Clothing and Toiletry Drive

The Cotton Collection

The third decade of the 21st century has become occupied with inventing eco-friendly ways

to live considering the ticking carbon emission timer we have been given. Methods of

production such as cotton farming have come under scrutiny for their high levels of pesticide

and toxic chemical use. 

But on 16 August 2020... cotton did us a world of good. Cotton is common to face cloths,

sanitary pads, t-shirts and practically everything we had collected from the generous

strangers on William Nicol. 

The proceeds of our collaborative drive were donated to the girls of Barnato Park High

School, Streetlight Schools, Uitkoms Home for girls and members of the Hillbrow

community. 

At each drop off, we were greeted with smiles of gratitude and cookie dough sweethearts.

Our greatest privilege in our field of work is our opportunity to witness the power of kindness

on average Tuesdays.

To be 5 young women of colour in South Africa is more than just a little challenging. We are

constantly moving between the cultural pressures of societies and, the desire to be in

expression of our truest selves. 

I sometimes become depressed by the little escapes in my landscape. But then a reminder

on my phone is friendly to me and speaks of our weekly Muse Afrika meeting.

We spend 45 minutes discussing meeting times, grading our weeks and strategy. We laugh,

work and then meet each other to collect donations. We then drop them off - feeling happy to walk away with a plastic less of clothes and 1 more drop of hope. 

I am hoping one day we will have biodegradable pads to deliver. But for now, I am good with

our little cotton collection.