Chandigarh Students Connect Kind Hearted With Needy Through ‘Wall of Kindness'

Young students from private, public and other institutions in Chandigarh are coming together and participating in the ’Wall of Kindness’ – a campaign, launched recently with efforts from the NGO called Yuvsatta in the Union Territory. The campaign is an attempt at kindness and gratitude but all anonymously.

Yuvsatta coordinator, Pramod Sharma said in an interview to IANS that while they were working on projects they came to realise that there are people in the society who need things like clothes, books etc, and there are also groups of people who don’t really know what to do with things are that are used but still in fair, usable condition. So this campaign ‘Wall of Kindness’  was the result of this realisation. It was launched with school children to help bridge the gap.

The ‘wall‘ is a particular designated wall outside the participating institutions so that it gives the givers and takers an opportunity to give and also take things as per their needs. Things like clothes could be hung on hangers or nailed to the walls, from where, those who require it, can pick it up easily.
This campaign was started few months back, and has already been adopted by hundreds of students from various schools and institutions in Chandigarh. Some people have also shown interest in this campaign from their homes, though at a smaller level.

Pramod Sharma explained the origin of this campaign saying that it began some years back in Iran and gradually it spread to Pakistan, China and few other countries. The distinctive feature of this campaign is that the person who gives and the person who picks it for his / her need, remain entirely anonymous to each other and everyone around. It is an act of kindness from the giver and gratitude from the receiver, anonymously.

The campaign has already begun and initiated by institutions in Chandigarh like Carmel Convent School, Dev Samaj College of Education, St. Joseph School, St Stephen’s School, Dev Samaj School and government girls Model Senior Secondary School in Sec-18, which is one of the biggest all-girls’ schools in the area.

Prof. Devi Sirohi, the Chairperson of the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) said that, this out of the box campaign idea works really well in preserving the respect and dignity of the donor as well as the recipient. Since the identity of both is anonymous, the donation reaches the deserving ones without anyone coming into the light.

Pramod Sharma also said that the response to the campaign has surpassed their expectations. More and more schools are stepping forth to participate in this campaign. The campaign’s success can be measured by the fact that the government authorities now want to extend this campaign to individual classes.

Raj Bala, Principal of the Government Girls School, Sec-18, said that they have planned to have a ‘Wall of Kindness Week’ for all the sections of the school, so that through the entire year, all students have a designated time to participate in the campaign, and help the needy. This campaign will also help inculcate a sense of giving and sharing among students and shape their minds in the direction of kindness. The sense of kindness, giving and sharing is especially important in today’s day and age of a consumerist and materialistic world.

Officials in the Education Department in Chandigarh are encouraging this campaign as well. The Deputy Director of the Education Department, Chanchal Singh said that the campaign is a really good effort and it is especially significant in the winters where it becomes difficult for the people who are financially and economically strained to purchase woollens.

Pramod Sharma further added that this campaign shows that people want to participate in making this world a better place to live for those who don’t have enough resources and contribute to it.