SAHIWAL: The trend-setting ‘wall of kindness’ which first emerged in Iranian city Mashhahd in December last, has also been set up in Sahiwal after Karachi, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore and Quetta.

The charity corner, set up by the activists of social organisation ‘Pursadaran-i-Husain’ at Tainkiwala Chowk on Feb 14, invites the passersby with a slogan: “Leave what you do not need” and “take it if you need”.

Abbas Zaidi, the man behind the wall idea, told Dawn the wall was like a place where people would leave their surplus clothes, food items and other usable items for the needy people who pick what they need.

Mr Abbas said they chose Feb 14 to open the wall as, like Valentine’s Day, the wall would offer the affluent people a chance to share their love for the needy people. On the first day of the wall, 24 people visited it, taking the pieces of clothes of their choices. Chand Zaidi, another activist, told Dawn on the first day, they hung the clothes collected from their friends but on Monday, more than 100 people donated clothes, blankets, quilts, and shoes.

Abbas Zaidi said the wall belonged to the Sahiwal Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) and even though they did not take permission from them, the TMA administrator appreciated the idea and allowed them to go ahead.

Initially, Abbas collected Rs20,000 from friends to paint the wall and arrange hangers.

A woman, seeking anonymity, said she had donated clothes on Monday but she would like to leave some grocery along the wall.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2016