Major General Ashim Kohli (Retired), a former officer of the Indian Army, is involved in an initiative that recycles retired army uniforms into school bags and other usable items for children in underserved areas.
Major General Kohli served in the Indian Army for 37 years before retiring from service. Following his retirement, he co-founded the Sewaj Neesim Foundation along with his daughter.
The Sewaj Neesim Foundation Initiative
The Sewaj Neesim Foundation operates with the tagline “Vardi ka Samman” and focuses on repurposing retired Indian Army uniforms. The foundation collects uniforms donated by serving and retired army personnel. These uniforms are processed through a structured recycling system designed to ensure that no material is wasted.
Recycling Process
The recycling process depends on the condition of the uniforms received.
Uniforms that remain in usable condition are:
- Washed
- Cut
- Hand-stitched into school bags
Uniforms that are torn, damaged, or faded are:
- Shredded
- Converted into fibres
- Reused to manufacture items such as masks and diaries
According to the initiative, no fabric or thread from donated uniforms is discarded during the recycling process.
Cost and Scale of Operations
The cost of recycling one uniform into usable products is approximately Rs 600. The foundation conducts approximately 10 uniform donation drives every year. To date, the initiative has recycled over 40,000 retired Indian Army uniforms.
Distribution of School Bags
Once the school bags are prepared, they are handed over to the Indian Army. The Army distributes these school bags to children in insurgency-affected and underserved regions of the country. The initiative is structured so that the recycled products re-enter communities through official military distribution channels.
Purpose of the Initiative
The initiative is presented as a method to:
- Extend the functional life of retired military uniforms
- Repurpose surplus material into educational supplies
- Support children in regions with limited access to school resources
Summary
Major General Ashim Kohli’s post-retirement initiative through the Sewaj Neesim Foundation focuses on recycling retired Indian Army uniforms into school bags and other usable items. The programme has processed more than 40,000 uniforms, operates through regular donation drives, and distributes finished products through the Indian Army to children in underserved areas.