New Delhi   

Now be a Santa Claus for the needy

This is a chance to be Santa all year round. But instead of giving shiny toys from red sacks like Father Christmas, all you need is cloth. Giving people the opportunity to make a difference with very little, Goonj, a non government organisation, will mark January 1 as "Cloth Day". "We are hoping that from the beginning of the year itself, all of us develop an attitude of regularly looking around our homes for unused cloth and other material which can help someone needy," says Anshu K. Gupta, founding director of Goonj.

A campaign that they have carried on for eight years now, Goonj has been working to highlight the importance of cloth as an unaddressed basic need of the poor. While most people donate generously during a disaster, clothing is a basic need of the marginalised throughout the year. And it is this constant need that Goonj aims to cater to.

Cold December evenings might be something that most Delhiites look forward to in winter, but for those living on the streets, it is a season they dread. According to Goonj, for millions without basic clothing, winters is a predictable annual disaster with no figures available for the number of people who die or suffer from a range of ailments every year due to cold. Interested in not just clothes, Goonj is also looking for cloth lying around the house that is too small to make into a shirt and is just perhaps lying right at the back of the cupboard to be used for a rainy day. These bits of cloth might not be useful for you, but will go a long way for women on the streets, Goonj believes. "We want people to make this a habit and start their year by donating. We don't want it to be like AIDS day. The idea is that people should donate through whichever NGO they feel they trust. But they need to come out of their geographical limits. It will not work if they only donate to their maid or driver. They need to look at other segments, go beyond their own limited circle," says Mr. Gupta. So for those who want to start their new year with a little bit of generosity, clean out drawers and make a difference. And for more reasons to join this movement, they should log on to www.indianngos.com/issue/clothing. -- Mandira Nayar

-- Mandira Nayar

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Civic body not to accept registration forms manually
Master Plan causes more concern than happiness
Keeping Mirza Ghalib's memory alive in his city
AIIMS alumni prefer going abroad, says study
Now be a Santa Claus for the needy
Two underpasses and flyover to be constructed
MCD implements new building plans
Pak-based drug racket busted, six arrested
A special train for the Buddhist circuit
Twins enter the world of words with flair
Vardhan criticises Delhi Govt.
Allocation of work for new Metro line
Two get five months' RI
Night-shelters to be made free for poor
Briefly
In the Capital Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu