E-Paper
#WallsOfKindness: A warm hug in winters
Restoring dignity of the needy through anonymous donations, the Neki Ki Deewars in Delhi-NCR offer clothes, shoes and utensils that anyone can pick up.
New Delhi
Come winter, and we pull out the woollens tucked away neatly in our bed boxes or at the top most shelves of our wardrobes. But for the needy, it takes much more than that to stay cozy when the temperature dips to an unbearable low. Fighting this cold with warmth is the initiative named Neki Ki Deewar (wall of kindness), many of which have mushroomed in vibrant colours, at various places in Delhi and even NCR. It’s at these spots that anyone can donate by simply hanging clothes, placing shoes and other objects of utility, for the underprivileged who can pick up whatever they need.
“There are several such walls in Janakpuri, and people donate in good amount,” says Vijayan KP, a businessman based in Janakpuri’s C-2 block, adding, “The demand is so high now that if you donate today, it’ll be gone by tomorrow. What’s commendable is that nobody donates clothes are too worn out to be worn. People understand that they are making an effort for a good gesture. My family is also planning to donate a bundle of warm clothes, socks and gloves this month, as this is the time when these things are needed the most. Winter is only going to get more intense in the days to come, and we better lend a helping hand to the needy.
A number of walls have resumed operations after the reduction of Covid-19 cases in the city. These often house the repurposed waste collection centres called dhalaos. Monica Rani, a merchandiser by profession, who is a resident of Dwarka’s sector 10, shares, “I heard about Neki Ki Deewar concept when one such wall came up in Dwarka, last month. I went to check out the place and ended up donating some clothes myself. All I did was leave them in hangers for anyone to pick up. This initiative is like a warm hug during this season. More and more people should come forward to give away clothes for those who require them especially for the winter season.”
“Assigned caretakers look after each of these facilities, to maintain their cleanliness and operation,” says Yogesh Saini from Delhi Street Art, who has painted some of these dhalaos in colourful scapes of fauna with human figures. Saini informs, “Over the past few months, our team has been actively partnering with both North Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to turn old dilapidated garbage dhalaos into aesthetic looking Neki Ki Deewars, which are essentially donation centres where people can bring their surplus supplies of clothes, books, shoes, toys, etc for donation. The artworks created by us focus on clear and colourfully written visual messages, so that anyone — the donor as well as the recipient of donated goods — can immediately identify these donation centres from a distance.”
Rajeev Kumar Jain, superintending engineer (west zone), SDMC, informs that this initiative began in Delhi in 2018 when a wall in Subhash Nagar was earmarked for this purpose. “Today, that wall has more than 250 cloth hangers at any given point of time,” says Jain, adding, “In west Delhi itself, there are six dhalaos that have been converted into Neki Ki Deewar. This initiative actually restores dignity and self-respect of the needy, as there is a certain anonymity in donating and collecting the clothes. And people also get a chance to donate selflessly, to a broader scope of people apart from their househelps. It eliminates that ‘ehsaan’ wali feeling in the whole process and yet spreads the message of kindness.”
Author tweets @siddhijainn
Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.
