Gola Gola Bhutan, a youth-led initiative, has supported underprivileged communities nationwide by distributing donated clothes. But its drop-off points are now being misused as dumping sites. The team says usable clothing is often damaged, and separating waste from clothes has become time-consuming.
This is a Gola Gola Bhutan’s drop-off point at Pamtsho in Thimphu. The donated clothing is cleaned and distributed to those in need.
The team placed this donation box at the thromde waste centre, hoping to prevent vandalism and make it convenient for the people to donate clothes while disposing of their waste.
However, the box now contains not only clothes, but rubbish as well. Clothes and waste spill out of the box, littering the area. This situation is not unique, similar scenes are seen at two other drop-off points in Thimphu.
“Although our drop boxes are specifically meant for clothing donations, we often find non-clothing items such as plastic wrappers, food waste, and even broken electronics. This shows how important it is to continue promoting proper waste segregation,” said Tandin Gyeltshen, the communication and outreach officer at Gola Gola Bhutan.
The overwhelming volume of clothing donations has created challenges in storage and cleaning.
The organisation is currently working to improve its infrastructure and operational capacity, aiming to secure a more spacious and suitable location.
“What GGB lacks is a centralised space where we can sort, clean, and store the clothes. We also don’t have a designated location where our team can come together and work. At the moment, the absence of proper facilities like washing machines and dryers makes grooming the clothes difficult,” said Phuntsho Wangchuk Rinzin, the president of the Gola Gola Bhutan.
He said they have been using social media to ask the public to temporarily stop donating clothes until existing boxes are cleared. Yet, donations continue to pour in. The team now urges donors to hold on to their clothes a little longer.
At present, there are 10 drop-off centres across Bhutan.
The initiative has been able to donate clothes to more than 10,000 beneficiaries in Lhuentse, Bumthang, and Trongsa.
Jamyang Loday
Edited by Sangay Chezom
