A Fish Hoek charity provides dresses and suits to disadvantaged youngsters so they can attend their matric balls.
Dress it Forward has been around since 2017, but one of its founders, Sherri Bailey-Bell, says she started collecting “the odd dress” for pupils who didn’t have one for the matric ball about 12 years ago while working at Fish Hoek High School and realising just how big a toll matric ball costs take on families.
“In many cases, children are the first to matriculate in their family, and parents can’t afford to get them an outfit and then get into huge debt doing so. Matriculants can now choose an outfit from us for absolutely nothing.”
Another founder, Sarah Waries, said her sister, Clair Titley, a documentary director from Bath in the UK, visited Cape Town in 2017 when she and Ms Bailey-Bell told her about their efforts.
Ms Titley made a one-minute short film about Dress it Forward describing how a matric ball could be a beacon of hope for youngsters in communities plagued by high crime and poverty.
Back in the UK, Ms Titley found a few dresses in her cupboard and sourced more from friends and others. She returned to South Africa the following year with 65 dresses and subsequently started Dress it Forward UK to collect dresses, suits and funding for Dress it Forward in South Africa.
“We are practically the same charity working towards the same aims, and we feel like we are one organisation,” Ms Titley said.
Ms Bailey-Bell said Dress it Forward UK last month raised £5 000 (about R117 000) by participating in the Bathalf, a half marathon in Bath. The organisation is now raising money to cover the travel costs of matrics who want to visit the Dress it Forward showroom in Fish Hoek.
Last year, Dress it Forward provided 650 outfits to matric pupils, but Ms Bailey-Bell said they struggled to find plus-size dresses and suits.
“Anyone who needs an outfit can come and see us and choose an outfit. They can choose a dress, and if we have, they can choose a matching bag and shoes and accessories,” Ms Bailey-Bell said, adding that they also had a selection of new wedding dresses.
Dress it Forward moved to 33 Kommetjie Road six months ago and is open every day except Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays. Visit www.dressitforward.net or find them on Facebook for more information.