How ‘Walls of Kindness’ are putting a smile on the faces of those in need

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a time of extreme uncertainty and despair, especially for the underserved communities, who have had to face most of its brunt.

With the second wave of the pandemic seeing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, several states are putting in restrictions to curb the spread. In such a time, the ‘Wall of Kindness’ initiative is a ray of hope across the country.

Started in Iran, the Wall of Kindness is a charitable activity that involves donating anything — from sweaters to socks that are in excess — to help the homeless people and the destitute who are deprived of it.

The initiative has helped people around the world, especially to fight the harsh winters, when sweaters are donated in large numbers.

In India, the idea has been picking up across the country, with many people coming forward to make their donations in kind at these designated places.

SocialStory shares some of the heart-warming Walls of Kindness across India, which are helping the destitute within the country.

Noida

The ‘Neki ki Deewar’ was spotted in Noida, shared by Twitter user @deepaliranaa in mid-March 2021. The photo showed the wall with several clothes placed on hooks.

It also had a board that read — “If you have something in excess, leave it here. If there is something you don’t have, take it from here.” (translated from Hindi).

Mysuru

The ‘Young Indians’ (Yi) of Mysuru created a ‘Wall of Kindness’ near Dasappa Circle in 2017. The spot provides basic amenities, including clothes, slippers, blankets, and books, among others, to the less fortunate.

The wall is open 24x7, and people can pick up anything they need from these items at any time.

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Bengaluru

The Rotary Club of Basaveshwaranagar, Bengaluru, set up a Wall of Kindness, along with MLA S Suresh Kumar, in 2019.

The club created a huge rack with about 25 compartments, where each slot stores items, including used utensils, clothes, jackets, sweaters, umbrellas, notebooks, shoes, etc. Each of these items donated needs to be in a usable condition.

Chennai

The Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai built a Wall of Kindness (Anbu Suvar in Tamil) in all its blocks, which receives contributions in the form of daily essentials from people. 

These include fresh towels, new soaps, toothpaste, toothbrush, oil, combs, and clothes. These are provided to patients who need them when they get admitted. In fact, people can either donate money to buy the items or in-kind with items that are in a good condition.

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Kashmir

The Wall of Kindness in Srinagar, outside the Traffic Police Department, is set up by police officer Sheikh Aadil Mushtaq. It provides clothes like jackets, coats, and mufflers, among other items, which help people stay warm during the harsh winters. It also has food items and utensils like kangris (earthen hot pots).

The area also has a vending machine that provides hot tea and coffee to the homeless to help them beat the chilly winter. Locals, who are appreciative of the efforts, also make donations from time to time.