What things like lipstick do I bring to trade in Peru & Bolivea

We.Two of us are planing a trip to Peru and Bolives in Jan and Feb of
2005. I understand that there are things one can bring form the USA.
To trade at the market. Like lipstick, Is this true? What other things
are good to bring to trade? What can we get in trade?
Also if we bring clothing to give to the poor. Ware can we tack them to
drop off?

Besides....Much of what you bring to donate to the poor, clothing wise,
will end up being sold in market place used clothing shops. I see that
all the time here where I live. Tons of clothing snet down by well
meaning Americans and given away free by church and missionary groups.
The next day you'll see the recipients at their used clothing stalls in
the market selling the stuff.

Sandi

On 10 Dec 2004 04:14:16 -0800, Sandi wrote:

> Besides....Much of what you bring to donate to the poor, clothing wise,
> will end up being sold in market place used clothing shops. I see that
> all the time here where I live. Tons of clothing snet down by well
> meaning Americans and given away free by church and missionary groups.
> The next day you'll see the recipients at their used clothing stalls in
> the market selling the stuff.
>
> Sandi

Which would indicate: a)someone has a use for the stuff and b) the poor
have a better idea of what they need than the well meaning donors. Maybe
for some people food is more important than more clothes.

I saw a show on PBS recently about how tons of our castoff clothing is
being shipped to Africa where a whole industry is based on it. In some
places it has devastated the local textile and clothing industry. In many
places just about everyone is wearing our castoffs. It gives the community
a very surreal appearance.

TB

I'm a US citizen and have lived all of my life in the US except for the
last two or so years. I realize very well the amount of goods
charitable organizations receive in the US. I also realize that they
cannot possibly sell all of it. I'm familiar with how they unsellable
items are discarded. In the case of a small upscale consignemnt shop
that I used for selling of business attire, the donor was asked to
sign an agreement allowing clothing on consignment to be donated to
domestic violence shelters and work retraining programs so that
applicants would be suitably attired for job interviews.


The churches in the states are operating in an honorable manner,
thinking that they are donating to the poor in a third world country.
In my area, it's many of the locals are not operatiing in an honorable
manner. They are taking free goods from charitable organizations, goods
meant to be distributed to the poor, and re selling those clothes in
the mercados of the city or out of the backs of pick up trucks on a
street corner. The poor, for whom those clothes were destined rarely
see them as they were intended - as a charitable gift from a church in
the US. It seems only the things to worn out for resale seem to make it
to the truly poor. I've seen things that still had the Goodwill or
Salvation Army price tags on them for sale in ther mercados. . Graft
and corruption - a way of life in everything from religion to business
and government.

S

On 11 Dec 2004 14:32:28 -0800, Sandi wrote:

>I've seen things that still had the Goodwill or
> Salvation Army price tags on them for sale in ther mercados. . Graft
> and corruption - a way of life in everything from religion to business
> and government.

At some point you and I must not be communicating. Goodwill and
Salvation Army sell TONS of clothes in bales to legitimate dealers because
they couldn't sell it them themselves. That stuff is then sold legitimately
all around the world. Those tags you see in the mercados are not
necessarily a sign of corruption. It's just a sign of the way the
legitimate used clothing business works. Quite frankly I don't think the
charitable organizations have the funds to pay for shipping the volume of
clothing you see being sold. The majority of it has to becoming through
legitimate channels. We are not sending out anywhere near the amount of
free clothing that you seem to think we are.

TB

I agree with what you said about the destruction of local
textile industries. I have seen that happening in many parts
of the world from Africa to Latin America to Asia.

And so true about the surreal element appearance!




Technobarbarian wrote:
> On 10 Dec 2004 04:14:16 -0800, Sandi wrote:
>
>
>>Besides....Much of what you bring to donate to the poor, clothing wise,
>>will end up being sold in market place used clothing shops. I see that
>>all the time here where I live. Tons of clothing snet down by well
>>meaning Americans and given away free by church and missionary groups.
>>The next day you'll see the recipients at their used clothing stalls in
>>the market selling the stuff.
>>
>>Sandi
>
>
> Which would indicate: a)someone has a use for the stuff and b) the poor
> have a better idea of what they need than the well meaning donors. Maybe
> for some people food is more important than more clothes.
>
> I saw a show on PBS recently about how tons of our castoff clothing is
> being shipped to Africa where a whole industry is based on it. In some
> places it has devastated the local textile and clothing industry. In many
> places just about everyone is wearing our castoffs. It gives the community
> a very surreal appearance.
>
> TB