In Pakistan, where 60% of the population live below the poverty line, many people cannot afford to clothe themselves and their families. In contrast to this, many of us living in the West enjoy an overabundance of fast fashion items that lose their appeal within months of purchase. Clothes we don’t want, often end up in landfills, exasperating our global pollution problem. While in the poorest communities, children lack warm clothes in the winter.
To bridge the gap, Akhuwat collects unwanted clothing for reuse. Our existing network of 800 branches helps identify communities and families in need of clothing. We sort, clean, repair and distribute donated items to these people. Our distribution efforts are focused in the poorest areas of Pakistan, including Southern Punjab, Interior Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Baluchistan.
Since Akhuwat’s Clothes Bank project was launched, we’ve distributed 2,7 million items of clothing, and hundreds of thousands of toys, books and other useful items to 2,5 million needy people, all over Pakistan. We also accept donations other than clothing, such as linens and other household items. We collect items throughout the year but also run special collection campaigns during the winter season and following natural disasters, when affected people are in urgent need of clothing.
By donating to the Akhuwat Clothes Bank, you’ll be restoring dignity through new clothing to some of the world’s poorest people.