The shop, which is located in Templars Square Shopping Centre in Cowley, is run by Jewins Women2Women and sells second hand and brand new African clothes and arts and crafts made with African beads.
The aim of the shop is to raise money for Jewins Women2Women in order to fund the support and outreach services it provides to women and girls who have suffered domestic abuse.
Ruth Mojisola Obasa, founder of Jewins Women2Women, said: “This is a historic event, in a sense, as the shop is the first African-product lead charity shop in the UK. It is the first in Oxford and the first in the UK.”
Ms Obasa feels the charity shop will be a unique and important way for the charity to generate income, support the women who use the service and connect with the community. She also believes it will help with “community cohesion” as the shops sells clothes from other cultures, as well as African fashion.
She explained: “One of the things the Government has said is that charity must try and find a way to be innovative, in order to raise money for their services.
“It will generate income because women are always waiting for grant funding for pay for counsellors and therapists, so this will bring in money for that.
“It will provide an opportunity for some of them to get their confidence back, to volunteer, as a work placement or work experience to help them in getting their confidence back. Also, it will help in communication skills and retail skills and they can go and set up their own business or we can reference them for jobs.
“We are hoping to employ people from the community when the funding comes in.
“We also engaging schools for working placements as well as disabled and retired people who want to do volunteering.”
Since the charity started its work in , it has helped more than 170 women and girls.
