SRI NAGAR: These days, kindness comes wrapped in woollens in Srinagar. Taking cue from philanthropists in Iran and Turkey, a group of volunteers of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has set up a ‘wall of kindness’ in the city for people to donate clothes and for the poor and needy to pick them without having to ask anyone.
Volunteers of the NGO WhoisHussain painted a wall of a portion of Hotel Pamposh to display the clothes, shoes and other items donated by people. “The idea behind this ‘wall of kindness’ is to create a bridge for the people to donate their spare clothes for those who need them,” Sheezan Muntazir, a volunteer, said.
The ‘wall of kindness’ started displaying the clothes from Tuesday. Since Kashmir is in the grip of cold these days, people are mostly donating woollen clothes such as jackets, sweaters, caps, etc.
“There has been a good response. People are coming forward and donating woollen clothes, food items, etc. Needy people come and take them from the wall without having to ask anybody,” said Muntazir. “The initiative aims to inculcate a sense of giving for greater good of society.”
The ‘wall of kindness’ remains functional from 10 am to 8 pm and a volunteer of the NGO remains present at the spot to guide people how to hang the clothes and other items. In the evening, they remove the clothes and keep them in a local mosque so that they don’t get wet, he added.According to Muntazir, there are 30 volunteers, including students. “We are a self-financing group,” he said.
He said the NGO had acquired permission from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation to set up ‘wall of kindness’ at two more places in Srinagar — Kashmir University and Amar Singh College. “We will seek permission from the authorities of the two institutes for painting a portion of their walls,” Muntazir said.
The concept originated in Mashhad city in Iran and was then copied in Turkey, Pakistan and other countries.