When Belair Public School in Newcastle decided to update its uniform last year, it was determined to stop its students’ old uniforms ending up in landfill.
What started as a simple enough plan resulted in hundreds of new and pre-loved uniforms being transported more than 3,000 kilometres through cyclonic weather to benefit children in Fiji.
Belair Public School’s relieving principal Sarah Jardine said they were forced to get creative to find a solution for what to do with the piles of old uniforms.
“As more families moved to the new uniforms we were left with a surplus of our old uniform,” she said.
School uniforms comprise a large amount of Australia’s textile waste.
Textile recycling group Worn Up estimates each Australian school discards between 100 and 200 kilograms of non-wearable uniforms per year.
Belair parent Lindsay Wachs, who volunteers at the school’s uniform shop, said she was determined to find a use for the clothes.
“I had heard that there were companies that do donations to [developing] countries,” she said.
After a six-month search, Ms Wachs discovered YWAM Newcastle, a not-for-profit, interdenominational Christian youth organisation.
The group runs mission trips to countries such as Papa New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji.
YWAM member Steven Traill contacted his family back in Fiji to find a school that would benefit from the uniforms on offer.
His aunty, Emma Naduaniwai, recommended Nabau District School, a rural school for children from primary age to year eight.
“It’s a village school and so they don’t have many resources, they are not well funded,” he said.
“A lot of these kids are living under the poverty line.”
Journey to Nabau, Fiji
Ten large boxes full of polo shirts, jumpers, shorts and skirts were picked up from Belair Public school in December last year and transported to Fiji by Mr Traill and other volunteers on New Year’s Eve.
Their journey to the rural school in the north-east of Fiji’s main island Viti Levu proved to be more complicated due to intense wet weather on the island, as it was during cyclone season.
Instead of travelling directly to the school through the heart of the country, Mr Traill and the group had to drive around half the island to reach the school near the village of Rakiraki.
“The journey to the school was a challenge,” Mr Traill said.
“It was during cyclone season, so there had been quite a bit of rain across the country.
“There were times that we had to cross through floods.
“We actually had to travel around the whole island to get to the kids, it took us about six hours or so just to get to the school.”
Despite the challenges, the group arrived at the school safely.
“When we arrived all the teachers and the students kind of gathered together waiting for us in the little small school hall,” he said.
“You could see the excitement on their faces and when we gave them the boxes they were just overjoyed.”
The group also donated arts and crafts supplies, books and stationery.
Jumpers for cyclone season
Ms Naduaniwai said the arrival was perfect timing amid the wet weather.
“The kids were jumping for joy,” she said.
“It was the [cyclone] season in Fiji and because the school is located in a rural area, it’s hard to get in the town and get warm clothes for them.
“But the donation that the school received on that day was just on time.”
Despite what turned into an epic journey, Ms Wachs said there might be another trip in the future.
“We’ve still got more and more uniforms coming in, so I’m sure we’ll be contacting YWAM again.”