The time has come to seek new adventures-an emotional farewell from our Founder
Dear Volunteers, Customers, Partners, Trustees and all Supporters!
Social entrepreneurship is more than just a great idea, it’s something I genuinely believe has the power to change lives. When a strong business model is paired with a meaningful product that connects both customers and the generosity of donors and volunteers, it creates something truly special: a venture that is not only sustainable, but deeply impactful. What inspires me most is how this approach goes beyond profit, uplifting underprivileged communities by making essential early childhood development accessible to the children who need it most; the very future of South Africa.
And when you consider the added huge environmental benefits, it becomes clear just how powerful this model really is. Seeing this come to life through the work of Chic Mamas Do Care, my dream came through… We have donated over R16 million over 17 years to those in need, and it is incredibly moving. It’s a reminder that business, when guided by purpose and compassion, can leave a lasting and meaningful legacy.
I was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary and moved to South Africa from Dublin, Ireland in 2005 with my Family. We have poverty in Europe, but not to the extent we see it here around us. It is so much more severe, the divide between the “haves” and “have nots” is huge. You see people living through inhumane conditions every single day; lots of people… I wanted to do something about this divide, and uplift those less privileged with what can REALLY make a sustainable difference, education and – specifically – Early Childhood Development.
In 2009, the way it enfolded came as an organic process and brought a lot of fun and hard work with it. But most importantly, an incredible group of wonderful women, who came on board with my vision and made Chic Mamas Do Care “happen” and our mission of ‘great impact’ on many levels took flight.
After I shared my idea with a few close friends, we started to host what we called “Exclusive Fashion Ex
change Parties” in my home where we would, quite simply “swap clothes!” My thought process around the concept was very simple – we all have clothes we don’t wear any more – they’re no longer “fashionable,” or we never really liked the gift we received or even, in some circumstances believe it or now, the clothes might have “shrunk” and they no longer fit us!
The very first event took place on the 23rd November 2009:
- we had a target of R5 000 and we made R 22 000 that afternoon.
- Our very first project was a R200 000 “Edutainer,” a refurbished shipping container we placed into Vrygrond’s Sunrise Educare pre-school.
- We followed with monthly ‘get togethers’ and our ‘exclusive’ invitation list started to grow… we got sushi & bubbly donated from local businesses and the rails started to have a selection of superb clothing on them… I approached everyone for clothing and people responded to the call.
- The word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool… and people wanted to be invited to these events…!
There were 2 main issues with so many rails in my home:
- I realized that the 10-12 rails of good quality clothing had a huge value sitting in my house – so started to think, how can I make more funds out of them?
- My husband, Nicky, kept asking me: ‘Darling, when are you moving these rails out of the dining room?”
The rest is really history, a wonderful growth of an idea. We have created presence in Durban – so grateful to our wonderful Jenny du Bois for her perseverance and leadership, in Hout Bay thanks to Josie Borain, who was determined to make a difference in her community, in Johannesburg where our bouncy high energy Karen Harvey ‘danced’ the concept into a full fetched shop in Linden. All of these women plaid a fabulous part of our expansion and built teams of powerful and dynamic volunteer groups, who run the show behind the scenes!
I am eternally grateful for people like Antonia Mansfield, Gabby Van Heesch, Raffy Roberts and Kathy Cassells, who played an essential role and contributed to the success of Chic Mamas today. I could not do it without them, and a big shout out to all of the Trustees and volunteers over the years, for their dedication, passion and determination to make our story a wonderful success.
And then, we had a good move, here came Love It Again! As I was showering one morning during Covid, when we had to close all of our shops… I could see all these young children running around in the townships hungry. The reality was, that not only they were hungry, but their parents and grandparents were hungry too. Covid was devastating on an already challenged community and I knew, we had to do something. Love It Again was born out of a shower, and with a limited budget and a cool IT guy Ian, our e-commerce site came as a life saver. I am proud of that our finest and most appreciated items are sold at a more respectful price and we value quality even more than ever.
I am also proud that our environmental awareness messages are reaching far and wide, and we keep this important dimension to our purpose vivid and alive. After all, creating a caring community includes this aspect and the number of slow fashion warriors are multiplying continuously. Our Planet is smiling at us Mamas!
Today, as I close a wonderful chapter of my life, we celebrate together 17 years of caring, growing, embracing community and making a big difference together. It is amazing to look back and reflect, we forget how much we achieved and still keep achieving. It is possible, because of YOU… fellow volunteers, trustees, customers alike: THANK YOU!
Thank you for doing it with your hearts, with the greatest efforts and for years after years… you are still here, even if you are new, you will be still here in a few years, I hope! This mission is fulfilling and gives us the purpose we are so keen to have: creating social change, on many levels.
I am happy that we have designed a sustainable system, we have built something that endures and continues to create value long after I am gone. A sustainable legacy is not just about what is left behind, but how it continues to function; responsibly, resiliently, and in balance with its environment and community.
Our current Trustees will look after Chic Mamas very well, I have no doubt. I am handing over the baton to Colleen Houlie who is now our Trustee/Managing Director and looks after the overall operation and the future of our organization. Colleen will lead with integrity, love and compassion, just the way our Mama came alive!
Stay Chic. With Love,
Abigel
