The María Zambrano Park in Las Lagunas turned into a flea market last Friday, 5th of April, during the fifth edition of Gratiferia. What is Gratiferia? A flea market of exchange and contribution in which we can take items for free and give a new life to many products. The organisers emphasise that this event has also become an afternoon of coexistence. 

This flea market is more than affordable but also has another purpose: to help preserve the environment, as the aim is to give a second life to those items that we no longer need and can be useful to other families, in addition, for many, the event becomes a real treasure hunt. "For example, I've found a dress that I love, so that's enough. I've done a purge in my house, I've got rid of a lot of things that can have a second life with someone else. This is the interesting thing, to become aware of the amount of waste that we generate in each household, to be able to create a community, to get rid of money, which is sometimes too important, and to look for other ways of interacting and self-managing ourselves", explained Susana Cortés, one of the organisers. 

Charini Cortés, president of the María Zambrano Sector 31 Neighbourhood Association, one of the collaborating groups, stressed that "the truth is that it is being a success, more and more people are finding out about it. They have brought lots of little things: toys, railings, light bulbs, clothes... lots of things" and recalled that "this is an act of coexistence, giving these items a second chance. Whatever is left over, we will donate it to an NGO so that they can also do useful things with it". 

 

The Town Hall values this type of collaboration between neighbours and associations such as María Zambrano Sector 31. The councillor for Citizen Participation, Silvia Marín (PP), who attended the event and shared a good part of the afternoon with the neighbours, said that "it is great to see people helping each other, giving things that they don't use and that other people can use. This is a neighbourhood and the truth is that it is a pleasure to see these activities taking place in Mijas". 

Many neighbours take advantage of this event to change their wardrobe or bookshelves. " Mostly jumpers, summer clothes, which are very useful for us. They are new and instead of throwing them away, it is better for someone else to use them", said Valentina Rodríguez, one of the neighbours attending the event. For her part, Mariluz Giménez also took the opportunity to buy some items, "books, children's clothes, it always comes in handy", she said. Gema Luz Meléndez, administrator of the Facebook group 'Me lo quedo. Hoy por tí, mañana por mí' (Today for you, tomorrow for me), pointed out that "what we do is donate things and get people to bring things, not only here, but also in the Facebook group. We have to replace things, children grow up, we are not going to throw clothes away". The first of the two Gratiferias organised every year has been a great success in terms of participation, according to the organisers. The next one will be after the summer.

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