KATHMANDU, Nov 26: Every morning while waiting for his school bus at Anamnagar, Sashank Khadka sees people bringing trunks of clothes to a donation rack. The donation rack has been there for about four months now receiving many clothes donors and takers every day.

To many people who are unaware of the motive behind this initiative, the place looks like a dumpster for clothes. 

“When I first saw this clothes bank a few months ago, I was unsure about what it was. It wasn’t organized like now and I thought it was a place for dumping old clothes. But I later realized that it was for a social cause,” Khadka, a high school student, told Republica. “My parents are also aware about this and we often donate clothes here,” he said.

Started in July as an initiative of 100’s group, the clothes bank has been attracting many people willing to donate or receive hand-me-downs. Lots of people pick the donated clothes as per their needs — all free of cost.

The donation rack welcomes all kinds of people -- both donors and recipients. “We started this initiative for a social cause and things have been going as planned,” said Bir Bahadur Bista, the supervisor of the clothes bank in Anamnagar.

Bista owns a shop right in front of the clothes bank and says that he keeps records of every donor and recipient. “Around 20 people come to donate clothes every day and about 10-15 people from all age groups take the donated clothes,” he said.

However, it’s not just the poor who come for clothes. “I have seen a few recipients who seem to be from well-to-do families,” he said.

“Although the poor and the needy are our main target group, we welcome all kinds of donors and recipients,” he said.

According to Bista, people visiting the rack for clothes look hesitant in the beginning, but after some explaining they take the clothes they need.

The locals also seem happy with the initiative. “Before they launched this novel initiative, I used to throw away my old clothes, but now I also collect hand-me-downs from my relatives and donate here,” said Sunita Acharya, a local resident of Anamnagar. “It is of great help to the needy,” she added. 

Founders of 100s group say that the donation trunk was placed on the roadside in order to attract the attention of the needy.

Started from Anamnagar, the 100s group has successfully installed clothes banks in different places in the Valley: Tinkune, Samakhusi, Pashupati, Kalanki, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. But now such clothes banks have opened outside the Valley as well. They have clothes banks in Chitwan, Dadeldhura, Dhangadhi in Kailali and Biratnagar in Morang. Recently they visited Kalikot district and distributed clothes.

“Our only motive is to help the poor and those in need,” say the founders of 100’s group. 

The clothes that are not taken by anyone are sent to the group’s store where they are sorted into usable and unusable. Usable clothes are sent to various districts. 

“We have been sending clothes to remote areas where the needy would use them,” said Bablu Gupta, one of the founders of 100’s group, and initiator of the clothes bank. 

And the unusable clothes are shredded to make blankets, which are again distributed among the poor in rural areas.

Both, Bista and Gupta, say that the group expects to expand the initiative in all 77 districts.

 
• 100's_group
 
• winter
 
• clothes_donation