Raheja’s kids collection -- Residents of Raheja Residency in Koramangala join hands to collect clothes for poor children
Gayatri Nair
Posted On Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at Bangalore Mirror
The usual reaction to old clothes is either throw them away or exchange them for new utensils. But residents of Raheja Residency, in Koramangala third block, are collecting old clothes and giving them to underprivileged children.
They call this initiative Clothe a Child Programme (CCP), where they place empty baskets in front of club houses for residents to donate old clothes.
The brain behind CCP is Y V Pai, the president of Raheja Residency Residents’ Welfare Association. The idea struck him during a visit to his daughter’s house. He says, “She lamented that my grandchildren had outgrown their clothes, and though they were as good as new, they could not be worn again. I realised that a number of families would be dealing with same dilemma and that’s when the idea of Clothe a Child Programme came to me.”
VISIT CLUB, DROP CLOTHS
Pai put his idea into action on October 7, 2008, when he put together a team and placed bags in front of the Rajeha Residency Club house so that residents could donate clothes. Soon, not only Raheja but people from surrounding apartments like Mantri Classics and St John’s Greenwood started donating clothes.
Sadhana Karkare, who works with an IT company, joined the CCP team as it coordinator. The CCP team ensured that the programme did not become an opportunity for people to get rid of old clothes. She says, “Proper instructions were given to donors about the way clothes should be donated. They were asked to wash the clothes and press them before donating them. Moreover we made it clear that we did not want old tattered clothes but serviceable ones.
The residents were sent fliers through emails, urging them to donate whole-heartedly. The response was so good that some of them even asked their colleagues, from offices like Synopsys India Pvt Ltd on Old Madras Road and others, to donate. Service apartments like Mercure Homestead, in Koramangala third block also donated clothes. On an average Pai’s team receives about 100 clothes every month. So far, it has collected 1,500 clothes for children.
NGOs HELPING OUT
The distribution of clothes to the needy is done with the help of NGOs. CCP has tied up with NGOs like the Whitefield-based Anga Karunya Kendra. When Anga Karuna Kendra fixes artificial limbs it also donate clothes given to it by CCP. “Similarly, we tie up with social workers, some living in Raheja Residency, and take their help in distributing the clothes,” Sadhana says.
The team first makes an announcement in the area it chooses to distribute clothes before proceeding with the distribution. Sometimes, it offers coupons to underprivileged families to help them chose whether they want boy’s or girl’s clothes.
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