Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Japanese garment manufacturer Gunze has been donating its quality underwear to expectant mothers in impoverished communities of Bodhgaya in the state of Bihar, India since November 2017.

As of 31st March 2018, 115 pairs of underwear have been provided to 57 women that are registered at AMDA Peace Clinic (APC) in Bodhgaya. The undergarments are prepared in various sizes taking account of women in different pregnancy stages.

To mark this meaningful contribution, Gunze’s CSR team “Gunze Love Earth Club” made the following statement to explain how their collaboration with AMDA came to fruition.


"Commemorating our company’s 110th anniversary in April 2006, Gunze Love Earth Club was launched to fulfill our corporate social responsibility as an established player in the textile sector. Ever since, we have continued to explore what we can do for the betterment of society by working with philanthropic organizations. Besides being self-funded, each one of our employees donate 100 JPY every month to back up our activities.


At the very beginning of our collaboration with AMDA back in 2009, one of our staff who paid a visit to AMDA’s head office came back rather impressed, stating that AMDA’s philosophy based on partnership and mutual assistance really matched what our team was aiming for.

Strictly abiding by its principles, we have been constantly amazed at AMDA’s work including its in-depth activity reports that help us learn how our donations have been used.

On this occasion, we feel extremely fortunate that the form of our assistance shifted from monetary donation to product-based support as it allows us to make good use of our capacity as an apparel company. We sincerely hope it will further strengthen our ties in the years to come."


Showing her appreciation, one of the women who received the Gunze underwear said, “Even after giving birth to my child, I have been putting it on regularly as it feels really comfortable. Without it, I would never have worn any underwear during my pregnancy. I will try to adjust its size so that I can continue wearing it even after my body returns to normal.”
 

According to an APC staff, postpartum women in Bihar generally do not wear underwear and put a cloth around one’s hip instead. However, as they came to know that wearing underwear allows them to live more comfortably, this experience has led them to change their habit.

We often come across children running around naked in Bodhgaya. They sit on the ground wearing nothing. However, we sincerely hope that the change of habit brought about among their mothers would help themselves understand the importance of having their children wear underwear as well.
 

Tomoko Iwamoto, AMDA Headquarters