Story provided by Wanvipa Ratthanapilom, Wat Bangna Nai School
Wat Bangna Nai School held a flea market to prevent waste. There, students set up stations where they sold belongings that they no longer needed, such as clothes and toys, instead of throwing it out.
The Eco Committee found it problematic that many students throw away their personal belongings when they are no longer needed or used, even though they still function. Focusing on the theme of waste management, the Eco Committee decided to arrange a flea market, where the students could sell their personal belongings so they could be reused.
As many of the students come from middle or low incomes families, acquiring new clothes, toys, etc. for one’s children can be a costly matter for a family. A flea market could therefore also be a great opportunity for people to buy cheaper products.
The Eco Committee promoted the activity and the possibility for all students to register as vendors, using all the channels available at the school – school boards, the school radio and by visiting every classroom to spread the message in person. This resulted with 45 students registering as vendors.
After two months of planning, promoting and coordinating, the flea market was held on the 15 August 2019 with approximately 900 students and teachers participating. During the morning, some parents and other community members also visited the flea market.
Overall, the project was a great success, with several expressing the wish for having a flea market again.
“Many students were very excited and came to school early to set up their stalls. There were many affordable items that I would not be able to buy if it was new; Dolls, clothes, stationary and lots of toys, that got a lot of attention and were sold out in no time. Even though we opened the market for a day, many people were so impressed with it that they want us to run it again next year.”
