The student hopes to reduce clothing waste by encouraging people to reuse unwanted garments and adopt more sustainable consumption habits.
DUBAI: Noticing how much clothing students discarded at the end of the academic year prompted Azura Lal to consider how garments still in good condition could be reused rather than thrown away.
The 17-year-old, who was born in Delhi, India, and moved to Dubai at the age of 11, turned that observation into Threads of Change, a school clothing collection initiative supported by her teachers and school community.
The first drive, held over two weeks last year, attracted more than 60 student and teacher donors and collected over 200kg of items. Now in its second year, the initiative has extended its collection period to five weeks.
From Clothing Waste to Community Giving
Lal began by asking a simple question: could clothes no longer needed by one person still serve someone else?
With guidance from her teachers, she developed the idea and contacted organizations across Dubai to help turn it into a working initiative.
“What inspired me most was the realization that an everyday habit could hold a bigger opportunity for change,” Lal told Gulf News.
The experience showed her how community support can help turn an individual idea into collective action.
“Seeing an individual thought grow into a collective effort showed me that you do not need to wait until you have the resources or influence to make a difference.”
Second Drive Extends Collection Period
This year’s drive runs for five weeks, compared with two weeks during the first edition. Lal hopes the longer collection period will help the initiative exceed the 200kg collected last year.
“My goal for this second annual drive is to make it a circular initiative, using the proceeds we raised, alongside the donated clothes and items, to give back to the community in a meaningful way,” she said.
During the first edition, the team prepared gift baskets containing goodies for the school’s nannies. The project also encouraged students to think more carefully about their consumption habits, including what they buy, how long they use it, and what happens when they no longer need it.
“Sustainability cannot remain an occasional effort anymore; it must become the standard by which we make decisions, consume resources, and hold ourselves accountable for the future we are shaping,” Lal said.
Through Threads of Change, she hopes to make clothing reuse and community giving more regular parts of school life.
Balancing Schoolwork With the Project
Running the initiative while studying in Grade 11 at Ambassador International Academy has required Lal to balance academic responsibilities with organizing collections and coordinating the project.
She acknowledged that managing her time has been challenging, but the experience has taught her to plan, set priorities, and make room for friends and other activities.
“When you are genuinely committed to something, you find a way to make time for it,” she said.
The project has also taught her that commitment does not depend on having unlimited time. It means making a consistent effort to see an idea through, even when other responsibilities compete for attention.
Encouraging Young People to Start Small
Lal hopes her experience will encourage other young people to look at issues within their own schools and communities and consider what they can do to address them.
“As young people, it is important to question the world around us, challenge what we have come to accept as normal, and recognize that just because something has always been done a certain way, it does not mean it cannot change. You do not need all the answers, significant resources, or a perfect plan to get started,” she said.
Growing up in Dubai among people from different cultural backgrounds has also shaped her understanding of how communities can work together towards a shared purpose.
“We cannot continue treating the planet’s resources as disposables and expect a sustainable future. Change begins when we take responsibility for what is within our reach.”
For Lal, the longer-term goal is to make sustainability and giving back a regular part of everyday life, beginning with practical choices about what people buy, reuse, and discard.
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Azura Lal /Supplied
Source: Gulf News
