Udupi: ‘Nadige 2026’, an initiative aimed at giving a new lease of life to used footwear and making it available to people in need, will be held at MGM College in Udupi from October 23 to 25.

The campaign is being organised in association with the GreenSole Foundation and the NSS unit of MGM College. The initiative encourages individuals, educational institutions, companies, apartment complexes, corporate organisations and social service groups to donate footwear that is no longer being used but remains in good and usable condition.

The organisers have appealed to the public to contribute clean footwear that can be refurbished and distributed to people who need it.

Campaign promotes reuse of footwear

Speaking about the initiative, media anchor and campaign leader Avinash Kamath said ‘Nadige’ provides an opportunity for individuals and organisations to contribute footwear lying unused in their homes or premises.

He said apartment complexes, companies, colleges, corporate organisations and social service organisations can participate by collecting footwear from their members, employees, students and communities before handing it over to the campaign.

The initiative seeks to promote the idea that footwear which is no longer required by one person can be useful to another.

The organisers are particularly encouraging people to check unused footwear at home and donate pairs that remain in suitable condition instead of allowing them to become waste.

GreenSole Foundation supports initiative

The GreenSole Foundation, a Mumbai-based non-profit organisation working in environmental conservation and social service, is supporting ‘Nadige 2026’.

Since 2016, the foundation has been collecting used footwear and refurbishing it through upcycling before distributing it among people in need.

The process is aimed at extending the useful life of footwear while reducing the quantity of footwear that ends up as waste.

According to the organisers, refurbished footwear is provided particularly to children, students and people from economically weaker sections.

The initiative therefore combines footwear reuse with social welfare by diverting usable footwear from disposal and making it available to communities that may require it.

Earlier campaign collected over 18,000 pairs

The response to the previous edition of ‘Nadige’ in Udupi exceeded the expectations of the organisers.

The campaign, launched in November 2023, initially targeted the collection of around 5,000 to 6,000 pairs of footwear.

However, the initiative received a strong response from residents and organisations in Udupi, resulting in the collection of more than 18,000 pairs.

The response demonstrated the participation of residents, institutions and organisations in the footwear reuse campaign and encouraged the organisers to bring the initiative back to Udupi.

GreenSole Foundation is now supporting the next edition, with the campaign scheduled to be conducted over three days at MGM College.

‘Nadige 2026’ from October 23 to 25

The 2026 edition of the campaign will be held on October 23, 24 and 25 at MGM College, Udupi.

The NSS unit of MGM College is associated with the campaign and will support the initiative during the three-day programme.

GreenSole Foundation representatives Shreyans Bhandari and Ramesh Dhami will also be present during the campaign.

The organisers expect participation from members of the public as well as educational institutions, companies, apartment associations and social organisations.

Participants can contribute footwear that is clean and still suitable for use. The collected footwear will subsequently be processed and refurbished before being made available to people in need.

Environmental and social benefits

The campaign has both environmental and social objectives.

Footwear that remains usable can be kept in circulation for longer through refurbishment and reuse. This can reduce unnecessary disposal and encourage people to consider reuse as an alternative to throwing away products that still have functional value.

At the same time, refurbished footwear can provide a practical benefit to children, students and members of economically weaker communities.

The organisers said GreenSole Foundation’s work has also received recognition, including the Lexus India Design Award. Its co-founder Shreyans Bhandari has also been featured in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list.

The foundation’s involvement is expected to provide technical and organisational support for the collection and refurbishment process.

Appeal to public and organisations

The organisers have appealed to residents of Udupi and surrounding areas to participate in ‘Nadige 2026’ by donating clean and usable footwear.

Educational institutions, companies, social organisations, apartment complexes and other groups have also been encouraged to organise collections among their members and contribute the footwear to the campaign.

The initiative provides an opportunity for organisations to combine community participation with an effort to reduce waste.

Bharath Shetty, treasurer of Sujnan Educational Trust; Ashwath S L, co-founder of Karkala Creative Educational Institution; Sharath S Alva, vice-principal of Udupi Group of Educational Institutions, Manipal; and Suchith Kotian, lecturer in the Department of Journalism at MGM College, were present.

With the earlier campaign collecting more than 18,000 pairs against its initial target of 5,000 to 6,000 pairs, the organisers are looking forward to another round of public participation.

‘Nadige 2026’ will bring the footwear collection initiative back to Udupi from October 23 to 25, providing residents with an opportunity to donate usable footwear and contribute to its reuse for environmental and social welfare purposes.