3. About "Vastra-Samman" Initiative

From GOONJ Website:

Fulfilling a basic need:
Out of the three basic needs of mankind (Roti, Kapda aur Makan), we believe that just by re-using our old clothes the problem of clothing can be solved to a very large extent without any major investments and policy decisions..

It doesn't involve the expenses and efforts on holistic development of the society as in case of solving the problem of Food and no major policy decisions and huge investments are required, as in case of Shelter.


Half of India doesn't need a disaster:
At least one major disaster every year and a number of floods, cyclone, riots & accidents in various parts of the country throughout the year... And we in India get into an action to collect material and send to the people only when a major disaster of the magnitude of Orrissa cyclone happens.. Annual mishaps like Assam & Bihar floods do not even get attention by the media, leave aside the people who can help..

And also a basic fact about this country is that - half of India doesn't need a disaster to be helped so why wait for a disaster?

When we raise an issue of development v/s charity and say by distributing clothes we are promoting charity, we tend to forget that this issue might be relevant for western countries but not in a country like India. The question of survival is the biggest question for half the population who either don't have resources or whatever they have is not enough even for a meal in a day. Although a basic need, the cloth doesn't even come in their imagination while struggling for survival.

The macro thought:
Never stop donating by doubting that whether it'll reach to a right person or not. On a macro level divide the society in two parts one is Donor and the other is Receiver. Always remember that me and you as donors never buy it back, the buyer is someone living in a small locality, a rickshaw puller, a laborer or a slum dweller. The fact remains that it reaches to someone needy, anywhere in some part of the country.

When VASTRA-SAMMAN takes the shape of a mass movement:
A few years down the line when VASTRA-SAMMAN spreads through out the country, by simple rule of demand and supply the supply would be much more, which means:

Much more clothes to more people, across the country, without any charge.

The cloth penetrates deep inside the country, even to the remotest parts, fulfilling one of the basic need of the mankind .

The beneficiaries can reallocate his meager resources for other basic needs like food, health and shelter.

The moment any disaster happens, we'll be ready with a stock of relief material and a network of donors, volunteers and agencies in place to face it.

Thousands of people will be saved from a vicious cycle of debts, they get into around festival time for buying clothes. A lot of beneficiaries in Bihar exemplifies this, who on CHATH PUJA, their main festival, didn't have to buy clothes on loan because they got it from GOONJ..

AND all this needs just 97 paisa per cloth, right from collection to sorting, packing, transportation, and distribution in any remote part of the country.

Don't Discard!!!... Contribute and Donate!
What you contribute, is "Not Just A Piece of Cloth"... it can save a life!!