Now, pilgrim city gets charity walls

Tirupati: The people of pilgrim city can now show some kindness towards the needy by donating any item they no longer need. They can simply drop the unused items at the 'Wall of kindness' inaugurated recently by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) as part of Swachh Sarvekshan 2022.

Though the initiative was not new elsewhere, for Tirupati people it is somewhat an innovative idea. A couple of years back Tirupati Railway station authorities had started a similar concept before the station premises which evoked some response initially. As there was no response during the Covid, it disappeared gradually.

Now, the MCT has come up with the idea of setting up two charity walls at Annamaiah Circle and Corporation office premises in the city which have been getting an encouraging response from the citizens. Anyone can drop their items, whether they may be clothes, blankets, books, utensils, toys, food or any other items which are in good condition and they no longer need them for whatever reason.

These can be picked up by anyone, who is in need without hesitation. The concept is clear – "Leave what you do not need" and "take what you need". Those donating should ensure to contribute the items that are hygienic and in usable conditions. A citizen who was dropping some clothes at the charity wall near Annamaiah circle commented, "This is a good initiative. We have some clothes of good quality and can be used happily. Due to some size constraints we can't use them anymore and now they may be of use to someone else."

The idea originated in Iran with an objective of donating anything that is in excess to help the destitute, who are deprived of them. The wall is open to all, round-the-clock and those in desperate need can go there and pick the items without any questions being asked. Thereby it can bridge the gap between the cross sections of people. It can even change the mindset of people towards a better society.

While an initiative has now stood before the residents, it has to be seen how they will respond towards it and help the downtrodden sections by donating generously and without knowing who will take them for their use. Thereby it protects the self-respect of the receivers.