Last Stand
Khair Khawah
We are in the last stretch of our fellowship journey and so the clock is ticking to the final curtain call. When we’ll be presenting our project to the batch, that presentation will be timed so can’t really show the entire journey there so this blog entry is an attempt to highlight our journey, the baby steps, the struggles and the accomplishments we have had over the last couple of months working on this Mega Project.
Let’s start off by defining the problem we are trying to solve and then reiterating what Khair Khawah is all about.
What people truly want is food on their plates, clothes on their backs and a roof over their heads. Especially in a country like ours that has been facing an economic turmoil from the very beginning, what it needs is for individuals to stand up and help the less fortunate so that we may prosper under this flag. There are many social and governmental institutions working on resolving the food and infrastructure problems, but what about the clothes. That is where we come in.
Khair Khwah is a step towards resolving the basic issue of people not having enough money to put clothes on their backs. This social startup is for those kids and the less fortunate members of the community, and gives them something that can bring a smile on their face. We’ll gather the donated clothes and shoes, salvage what’s possible, clean and package them and provide them to the ones in need.
Our Mission- Helping those in need while also playing a part to save the environment. As clothes are the hardest thing to recycle we provide an opportunity to reduce the footprint each induvidual has in polluting the environment by dumping clothes into landfills. Choose the alternative and donate unwanted or unused clothes.
From starting off with empty hands with just the idea in our mind, we began our journey. We are proud to say that the journey has been quite fruitful where we have not only received donations and positive responses from people but also brought aboard volunteers for the cause as well.
Over the course of the last two months our circle got in touch with over 70 individuals and among them only 25 people actually donated. Some of whom will be contributing in the upcoming weeks. We collected a total of 56 articles of clothing among which consisted of 43% for women, 34% men and 23% for kids. Overall we were able to serve a total of 20 families which is above the projected 10 families.
Main issues we faced while gathering donations were:
- The pandemic itself: due to the restrictions it is quite difficult to travel.
- Hesitancy: as this is our organization’s first venture it was difficult to gain trust of strangers.
- Students: our contacts included students who are living in hostels who do not have access to extra clothes for donating.
Our solution to these issues consisted of focusing on our local neighborhood and areas closer to residence, so we don’t have to travel too much for collection of donations, as ensuring the safety of our team and others was top priority. Additionally, to diminish people’s hesitancy towards donating, we provided them with physical proof through photos of actually handing out donations that we had made earlier. This satisfied some if not all who had reservations. Moreover we kept a check on the hostilities who promised us donations, and made sure that they collected them for us when they visited their homes.
We didn’t really make any changes to our approach when it came to carrying out the project, although one thing we did do was shift to a higher gear as we approached the last stretch of fellowship.
Following are the reflections of the group members regarding their experiences from the last week:
My responsibilities were to ensure that all the circle members were carrying out their personal tasks and assisting them in case of any hiccups.
On a personal level, this week the entire focus was on getting in touch with as many people as I can and getting them aboard with our effort to fulfill a basic need. I was responsible to deal and rectify any reservations people might have regarding our venture. By providing them with a detailed explanation of how our organisation functions, especially its logistics and financial planning, I was able to resolve such issues. In total I have collected 18 articles of clothing with more promise and are on the way. I got them washed and pressed at the local laundry service from the monetary donations (around 2000 PKR)I collected from people donating clothes and otherwise.
Additionally I drew the logo by hand on the packaging to give it personalized touch as well as keeping the costs to a minimum- Abaad
As per my responsibility, I had to collect the clothes. So for this purpose, I contacted my friends and family through WhatsApp status, calls, and messages. And I have received an overwhelming response. All the people are pretty supportive and generous. I have received 20 pieces of clothes which have already been cleaned and pressed. So I packed them in khaki paper and distributed these clothes among the poor and needy families near my house. I have no words to express my feelings how grateful i am to all those people who contributed in this kind deed- Mahnoor
Recounts of other members are as follows:
Cash Collection: So, I reached 20 people for cash collection. My basic idea was asking for just 100 Rs/-, which almost everyone can easily donate. From this, I am able to collect 1000 Rs/- so far.
Clothes Collection: For clothes, I reached out to individuals and families near my house (approximately 6–7). I collected 15 pieces of clothes from 3 families and a few more agreed to donate but in the coming weeks hopefully. I have spent my collected amount in washing + pressing, buying packaging, And printing out Khair Khwah’s logo to paste on the packaging. I am done with almost everything for my first batch to donate. I will donate these to a few needy ones in our area and a few living in slum areas, a bit far from my house. For this purpose, I have decided to go on the blessed day of Friday after Jummah Namaz- Hira
My responsibility was to search laundry services. So, I have searched for 5 laundry services and chosen one which is giving good service at a cheap price. They are taking Rs. 40 per cloth with washing, pressing and packing. Also, I have contacted my friends and family members for collection of clothes, and till now I collected three clothes which I have given for washing and pressing- Ali
Asma, Asia and Nabeel’s recounts are as follows:
My responsibility included bringing volunteers onboard alongside collecting dresses. So, some people responded positively to my call to join hands with us in this social cause. Other than this, I collected four dresses, volunteers are spreading the word and hopefully I’d be able to collect more. I have arranged the khaki envelopes(which are environmentally friendly) to pack the dresses. As far as the cleaning is concerned, the donors donated the washed dresses, I just have to iron them. I will be donating the dresses on Monday- Asma
As per my responsibilities I have to collect dresses and also search for volunteers so I collect 3 dresses and , I told my friends to help me as a volunteer , so I have 4 volunteers and 3 dresses I cover all the dresses and send it to my poor neighbours- Asia
As my responsibility was to find laundry services. I searched but I couldn’t find it. In addition to this and after explaining our project objectives and goals, I collected some ironed and washed clothes from my friends- Nabeel
We plan and are keeping track of all of our donations through proper documentation which will help us down the line to persuade people and entrusting us with the belief that their donations will be delivered to the most deserving of people.
And may the dream of being selfless prosper.
