A border guard unit in the north-central province of Nghe An has put a wooden closet in front of its premises for anyone in need to take clothes.

 “If you need one, take one,” reads the sign hung on the closet at the border guard station of Na Ngoi Commune in Ky Son District.

Clothes of a great variety of sizes, colors, and styles, all in good condition, are available for free from the closet. 

And to help those in need make a selection, the border guards have even placed a plastic sheet on the ground to give people an area to try on the clothes.

Free but new and in good condition

The clothes donated by the soldiers come in a variety of sizes and are all in great condition, according to Gia Y dua, 27, who came to the closet to find an outfit for her child.

“I feel like I am shopping at a market rather than taking charity clothes,” she said, adding that she was able to pick four different outfits for her children.

Xong Ba Lau, another local who was looking for clothes for his family said that even for those with money, it is often extremely difficult to find clothing sellers.

“We have to wait for the sellers to occasionally visit in cars loaded with clothes or travel to the district market which is very far away,” he elaborated.

“Now we can get clothes without having to go anywhere, and they’re also free.”

But those who benefit most from the charity are probably the local students who finally have options to chose clothes they like.

“I really like this closet because there are many clothes I can choose from with not only beautiful colors, but also pristine quality,” said Mua Y Pa, an eighth grader at Na Ngoi Middle School, who found a suitable outfit for school that she said she can’t wait to wear.

Properly arranged

The idea of creating a charity closet came from members of the Youth Union of the Na Ngoi border guard station, who wished to help the community while also encouraging people to support and help each other through difficult times.

The soldiers themselves decided they needed to help the local community after noticing the rough state of many locals’ clothing.

In many cases, people were even wearing clothes unfit for use.

In order to keep the charity closet running, the border guard station calls for donations from benefactors in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

“After receiving the donated items we check their quality and classify them before putting them into the closet,” Nguyen Ba Ky, a top officer at the station, said.

“Even charity clothes must be given in a proper way.”

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