Making a beginning, Alka Damle wants to take the first step herself and motivate others - for discarding the use of plastic bags in the market and replacing them by homemade cloth bags, made out of old, used sarees and other material. Why this effort, that too, without thghtest expectation of any returns? It’s time to give back, she keeps reminding herself and continues contributing her bit to the city of Vasco where she lives for the past couple of years. This time Alka aims at distributing 5000 cloth bags to vendors ‘free’ before monsoon hits Goa. “I have already completed my target of getting stitched 5000 cloth bags from the women members of self-help groups in Vasco and distribute them to the vendors in our market. We want to make this beginning and be a role model,” she smiles.
Alka has reasons to take up this social project, spending money from her own pocket. “Vasco is full of plastic garbage and the more we try to keep this city clean, the more dirtier it gets, especially with used plastic carry bags that float in the water bodies, fly in the air and lie in the fields. It’s such a nuance. To get rid of this, at least from the market area, we have come up with this project,” briefs Alka, who has spent from her own pocket to get stitched cloth bags out of donated old clothes, bed sheets, sarees and discarded jeans. She got them stitched in two sizes and paid Rs 5 and Rs 7 each to the women who stitched them. Now she plans to distribute these bags to the vendors in the Vasco market, all free of cost. They can sell the bags to their customers and earn some money. Alka wants to put only one condition - that the vendors should not give plastic bags free to their customers. Instead they can sell these cloth bags. “This is for awareness among the citizens that they should not ask for plastic bags, free, and then throw them all over, littering the city and choking the nullahs,” states Alka, an educationist by profession.
In her feat of seeing and keeping her city clean and green, she has even swiped the streets with her team of volunteers. She is equally at ease in whatever she holds - be it a pencil or a pen, a paintbrush or a broom. Alka Damle - a name that synonyms a crusader, a messenger and a doer. This retired teacher has successfully initiated innumerable projects for the betterment of the community. One of these is a kindergarten school she started for the children living in the Navy Quarters. “Our Bal Pathshala kick started with 40 children. Today, over 200 students learn the basics here. They are prepared for admissions in the local schools,” shares Alka whose contribution to Vasco is remarkable and manifold. She took lead to start Club 50 + for those interested persons above 50 years of age who wish to contribute for the welfare of the society. She is a part of the Reader’s Club that meets once a month to discuss on the books read by the members.
This maths teacher has written many pages in the history and geography of Vasco. Not wanting to start any NGO of her own, Alka likes to involve the already active NGOs in her projects. Her latest project being that of collecting old used clothing and getting it stitched into cloth shopping bags to distribute free to vendors in the vegetable market. Alka aims at distributing 5000 cloth bags made out of old sarees and bed sheets, all free to the vendors in Vasco and has fixed a deadline for this - May 15.
“When the monsoon begins, the plastic bags create a nuisance in the city. Hence I wish to reach my target of readying 5000 bags as fast as possible. I have to distribute them before rains start havoc,” she quips. So far she has managed to collect old clothing from her locality, mostly from people’s homes and from hotels like HQ and La Paz who have been generous enough to donate their old uniforms and used bed sheets.
“I have shared about my project through social media, and got good response. People like my concept and are willing to support it. But very few come forward personally for volunteering. Compared to Vasco the response from other cities was low. And yes, few enthusiastic persons did give me calls asking where should they drop their parcel, but personally I can’t collect from other cities. What I expect is, people should copy my concept and take it forward in their own cities and localities. Do it themselves, spread their appeal, collect, wash, stitch and distribute cloth bags to vendors, free,” expresses Alka. Despite the fact that she’s in her sixties, Alka never gets tired of doing something innovative and good for the people. She knows the task is not easy. “The job is tedious. It needs lot of work - sending messages across various media, collecting old clothes, washing them, getting them stitched into bags and then distributing free. Who would do this?” she asks as all are not equipped to do such voluntary work. It’s not possible for everyone to take out time from their busy schedules and do something like this only to enjoy a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day.
She mentions of Pramod Sawant of GVM School in Ponda who had initiated a cloth bag drive. Cloth was bought and 10,000 bags were stitched by the students which they sold in the residential colonies for Rs 10 each. “Instead of buying cloth, I preferred to use old, discarded clothes, as people don’t mind parting with them. Anyways we dispose old clothes. This is a good way of using them again for a purpose,” feels Alka who cites another example of distribution of cloth bags during carnival celebrations. “People can afford to buy bags, they have them at home, but it’s the lethargy that keeps a person to carry a cloth bag from home every time he or she goes for shopping. If vegetable vendors, instead of giving plastic bags free with the purchase, start selling cloth bags for Rs 5 or 7, people would feel motivated to carry their cloth bag with them instead of purchasing from the vendor. It is this change that I wish to bring in the mentality of society - to carry a shopping bag whenever people go to shop,” she explains.
Alka is sure that such gestures will pay in the long run. “It will mould the societal mind set. People will start living mindfully, become more helpful and carrying for the environment. A small step taken today, will lead to a larger destination someday. Why not think big and large?” she asks and shares her wish to spread the word and campaign to other cities as well. In Ponda, Narishakti organisation has already taken up the task, of stitching cloth bags commercially. If more organisations support the initiative, the markets in Goa will be full of cloth bags and happy customers. A life lived fully, more for others than for self, is what gives her contentment and giving back to society is what she aims at. Not expecting anything in return except a good night’s sleep, Alka has been contributing her bit for the betterment of the society out of deep inner compulsion. “It’s time to give back, we have been taking so much from the society,” she quips.
