Donate With Dignity

I looked at my college sweatshirt and again that nostalgia occurred which occurs almost every time I take it out of the box. Memories, I tell you, don’t let you leave so many things and the result is my box full of clothes, which I haven’t worn since ages and probably won’t ever wear again. There was my college sari which I didn’t let my mom give it to our maid. A grey scarf, which I used to wear in school. A jacket for which I and my sister fought almost every day, since my uncle just got one as a gift and mom asked us to share it among our self ;) . My favorite kurta which I got from my first salary and cannot wear anymore as it doesn’t fit me. My mom’s handmade sweater with a doll holding an umbrella, which I had worn since I was in class 12th and now cannot wear because it’s never so cold here in Bangalore. I would have almost closed the box once again but this time I decided not to. How long can you clutch them and not let go. Probably this is the time to part. I ironed them and put it in a bag and wrote “ Goon j “ on the top.

Every year just before Diwali, my office administration sends a mail to all the employees asking them to donate generously to “Goonj” not in cash but clothes. The mail is always titled as “Donate with Dignity” meaning donate only those clothes which can be used by somebody, not the one which are torn and almost unusable. Goonj had been founded by Anshu Gupta. The NGO collects clothes through various channels, sort them, mend / repair them and then dispatch them based on geographical and cultural need. Torn clothes are used for making various things like school bags, mats, baby sheets, undergarments and even sanitary napkins.

You can find more information on their website http://www.goonj.org

When I was young, I and my sister used to wait for my aunt (my dad’s elder sister) to visit us. She had three daughters (all elder to us) and used to bring their clothes (since they used to outgrow them almost every year). We used to get almost new and stylish clothes (as my cousins were in their teens and used to be our role models right from dressing to almost everything else ;)) and would be very happy. So, this time when I opened my box I decide to keep the memories and distribute the happiness. I decided to “ Donate” , “ Donate with Dignity” .