Overview:
- Afeefeh Seblini hosts clothing and book swaps in Dearborn, Michigan, to promote sustainability and community building.
- The swaps, which began in 2021 after a massive storm flooded Wayne County, aim to extend the lifespan of items such as clothes, books, art supplies, and ornaments.
- Seblini, driven by her Muslim faith and immigrant experience, wants to fight overconsumption and provide a permanent brick-and-mortar space for swaps and workshops.
This perspective on the fugitive dust ordinance is from Planet Detroit’s Neighborhood Reporting Lab, where community reporters write about health and climate issues in their neighborhood. Neighborhood Reporting Lab is supported by the Americana and Kresge Foundations.
On a Saturday afternoon, Afeefeh Seblini and her friends arrive at Black Box, a Dearborn coffee shop on Monroe Street. They set up clothing racks and hang gently worn clothing. In the middle of the coffee shop, they arrange a long table and fill it with books on art and poetry for trading or simply taking.
About four times a year, Seblini hosts a swap where people can exchange unwanted clothes and books. The events allow people to refresh their wardrobes, learn about climate responsibility, and build community.
Seblini started the swaps in the summer of 2021 after two massive storms dropped 6-8 inches of rain in 24 hours, flooding most of Wayne County and overwhelming the sewer system, leading to a national disaster.
Afeefeh, 29, and her sister Zahra, 27, wanted to help their community regain the necessities they had lost, such as clothing. For their first swap, they made signs and advertised on Seblini’s personal Instagram account. The event was well attended, which motivated Seblini to continue.
“The storm was more of a catalyst than anything,” Seblini said. “It was a mobilizer, but at the end of the day, I realized, given the response, that people found a sense of community in the event itself.”
Now, their goal is to normalize extending the lifespan of items such as clothes, books, art supplies, and ornaments.
“It opened my eyes to how much this is needed in our community and how people were into it,” Seblini said. “We have consumer power and part of that is not participating in overconsumption.”
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Seblini believes people want to create change but don’t always know how. She says this is a low-pressure way to make lifestyle changes about consumption.
Driven by their Muslim faith and immigrant experience, the sisters say that the Earth is an Amaneh.
“It basically means a trust or something that has been given or entrusted to you to take care of because it doesn’t actually belong to you. It belongs to God,” Seblini said.
As a child, Seblini says she wore a lot of secondhand clothing.
“My cousins would always give us their old clothes. It was very much a part of our culture. So it was second nature to me to be like, okay, let’s do this on a community level,” Seblini said. “I know I have clothes that no longer fit me and are not to the taste of any of my siblings or don’t fit them. Who’s the next person to give it to?”
In addition to clothes, Seblini has ventured into other kinds of swaps. Earlier this year MetroSwaps hosted a seed swap with the Arab American National Museum. Afeefeh took seeds from her garden, such as Blue Corn, Luffa, Marigold, and Okra to trade.
Then, MetroSwaps collaborated with Huda Clinic in August to conduct a public composting workshop.
MetroSwaps has also hosted mending workshops to teach people sewing techniques to reduce waste and breathe fresh life into beloved garments.
“Whatever is in our power individually, we must do,” Seblini said. “I can’t change the world. I’m just one person, but I have the revolution inside of me.”
In the long term, Seblini wants MetroSwaps to have permanent brick-and-mortar space to host regular swaps and workshops. She wants a place for people to connect through sustainability instead of overconsumption.
“Nothing is going to change unless we do it. We are making an effort to provide space for the younger people to participate in this, too,” Seblini said. “Change has to happen on a local level and expand.”
One barrier MetroSwaps has experienced is the gender divide, which is reflected in its Instagram stats: 86% of its followers are women, and male clothes are rare at its swaps, even as MetroSwaps tries to create an encouraging environment.
“Tell your guy friends to come! It’s not academic, it’s not legislative – it’s just vibes,” Seblini said.To attend the next swap, follow @MetroSwaps on Instagram.