Mysore/Mysuru: Lions Club of Mysore West had recently organised the 10th edition of Bargain Hunt, an annual sale to encourage recycling and reuse of items that would otherwise be languishing in people’s homes or be discarded in landfills.

The sale has helped the Lion ladies raise funds for the Club’s multiple community service projects. For the past few years the money raised from Bargain Hunt has been earmarked for skills training for all age groups. To empower women to supplement family income, a free training at the Queens Fashion Institute was provided alongside sewing machines so they can be self-employed. The Club also sponsors computer courses to help young people improve their chances of getting a job.

The Bargain Hunt sale that lasted for five days provided a platform to give pre-loved items a fresh lease of life. For five days every year the Melvin Jones Bhawan Hall at Lions Sevaniketan School in Gokulam resembles a shopping arcade with a vast range of merchandise including womenswear, barely used sarees, salwar kurta sets, menswear, kids clothes, toys, games, electronic items, furniture, home accessories, kitchen gadgets and medical diagnostic kits at prices starting as low as Rs. 50.  Lion lady Dipika Rao says, “Bargain hunt allows you to save money while you save the planet.”

“This is a great initiative to promote  sustainable changes. I have been using pre-loved clothes since I was a kid but that was within the family. Glad  to find like-minded folks here. I quickly grabbed some books and board games. Selecting was easy as it was segregated  well,” says Vinutha, who made a quick shopping trip during her lunch hour.

The process of unpacking and sorting out goods that have been donated and conducting the sale itself is a backbreaking job but the Lion ladies found it enormously satisfying. “We love the fact that families find so much pleasure in acquiring items they would otherwise not be able to afford,” said Lion lady Nina Ahuja.