Cloth for Work in India

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Cloth for Work in India When people think of the poor in developing countries, usually images of UNICEF pictures of starving and shoeless children come to mind. Likewise, when people think of giving to charities they mostly think of food or education efforts. These areas are the main focus of a lot of common charitable organizations. Unfortunately, one of the most vital necessities has been greatly overlooked, especially in India. Clothing is necessary as a means of dignity and survival. David Bornstein’s article “Bridging the Clothing Divide” claims that clothing the poor in India is a major issue that must not be overlooked and discusses a way people are attempting to remedy the issue. India has had bursts of economic growth in the last few decades. However, a great number of Indians have not felt the benefits of this growth, but have been left behind in poverty, struggling to find food or clothing (Prakash NP). Bornstein’s article highlights a major need and quality efforts being made to assist, maintaining the life and dignity of those who cannot afford clothing in India. Clothing is necessary for survival and Bornstein approaches the issue in a way that imbues sympathy in the reader. There is one main initiative seeking to amend the problem of clothing in India. In 1998, Anshu Gupta and his wife started Goonj (meaning “echo”) (Bornstein NP). This organization seeks to redistribute some of the wealth of the middle class to the poor through donations of clothing (Bornstein NP). Gupta discovered this problem and decided to do something about it, beginning with himself and his own unused clothing. Expanding greatly since its humble beginnings, Goonj now operates in twenty-one states, sending more than seventy tons of material out every month (Prakash). Goonj collects donations of spare clothing then repairs or repurposes the cloth to be distributed

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