On Monday 16th September , the Friends of Hope Foundation , one of our new beneficiaries, took our team of volunteers to visit 2 of the schools that our funding supports. The buzz of excitement was exhilarating. The experience was heart warming , moving and left a lasting impact. Our team was able to see, first hand the fruits of their labour, giving of their time and serving for the common good. We are all able to make a difference…
When I think of Chic Mamas I feel - pure joy. Chic Mamas is a warm, friendly, affirming environment filled with welcoming smiles, helpfulness and affirmations. Volunteering here is never a chore, never a matter of - oh no it’s my shift today - in fact, most of the volunteers (of which I am fortunate to be one) come early and eagerly do their bit. Helping our customers to feel and look their best selves, and finding great items of…
Chic Mamas Do Care with Movement4Improvement and in partnership with True North created a fundraising initiative to complete the amazing playpark at the Vrygrond Community Library. The pictures speak for themselves… see the BEFORE and AFTER photos and enjoy the happy smiles! We super excited to have completed this amazing project. The aim of the makeover is to facilitate the many pre-schools in this Township, where space is scarce and the children don’t have any opportunity to play on age…
The Oudeskip Park in Hangberg is a small community park frequented by many children and adults on a daily basis. It was run-down and most of the play equipment had either been broken, stolen or vandalised. But today, it was officially reopened by Cllr Rob Quintas with new swings, a roundabout that works, a slide, seesaw, jungle gyms nd brightly coloured artwork. Chic Mamas provided the necessary funding in partnership with M&G Investments, to repair and upgrade the play equipments…
Children growing up on the Cape Flats are faced with a deluge of daily challenges, many of which are exasperated by the high unemployment rates in the area. Issues such as gangsterism and substance abuse are part of their daily lives and many of these children are merely trying to survive from day-to-day. Opportunities to grow themselves and to escape this harsh environment are few and far between. These children have the potential to be tomorrow’s leaders, to grow our…
The Japanese word “Ikigai” has entered the global lexicon and closely describes my Chic Mamas experience. Over more than a decade, I have evolved from a regular Customer, to a Volunteer and most recently a Trustee. I can truly say that Chic Mamas found me and not the other way around. My Happy Place. Every time I think about Chic Mamas (which is often), it brings a smile to my face and lifts my spirit. It is where my passion…
While the circular economy has been studied since the 70s, the first circular economy action plan was adopted by the European Commission in 2015. Defined by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation as a "systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution", the circular economy is ultimately about reducing waste and creating resource efficiency. Historically, issues around sustainability have been the concern of large corporates, but there’s been a shift, specifically since the Covid-19 pandemic,…
We have just come out the other end after The Big Sale for Vintage with Love at the end of September 2022. What an incredible experience it was again & just so good to be back in a public space with all our supporters. Chic Mamas are proud partners of Vintage with Love who work tirelessly for at least a year before the sale, collecting, sorting and pricing clothes to raise money for ECD and a number of…
Recently, a large study concluded in the UK revealed that being born in poverty often determines how your life will play out, what opportunities you will have, and your quality of life. Unless you have people who believe in you and uplift you as a person holistically – giving you a quality education – and a safe environment where you can reach your full potential, great opportunities and quality of life don’t come easily. Sadly, South Africans understand this all…
The concept of sustainability as we know it today came to light in 1987 in the famous Brundtland Report produced by several countries for the UN. It was defined as meeting 'the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. For the first time, a concept had been established to relate humanity's development with the need to manage resources in the best way possible. This meant a very important change in terms…