Goonj is a non-governmental organisation headquartered in Delhi, India which undertakes disaster relief, humanitarian aid and community development in parts of 22 states across India. Goonj is the first to highlight clothing as a basic but unaddressed need which deserves a place on the development agenda.
Goonj is turning the discarded and under utilised material of cities into a tool to address ignored basic needs and development issues of rural India. Goonj's work is not about collecting and distributing material but about changing the age old tradition of giving old material as charity and repositioning it into regular and dignified giving. In the race of development everyone is too focused on machines i.e. the big, known issues, ignoring the needles- the most important basic needs. At Goonj the focus is on these needles.With a large scale civic participation it is not only becoming a big people's movement for development but is also creating a parallel economy where every work doesn't have to wait for money; huge quantities of old re-usable material becomes a valuable resource.
It was founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta. For his work with Goonj, he was awarded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015 In 2012, he was named India's Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 by Schwab Foundation, a sister organization of World Economic Forum. Goonj's work over the last 18 years has evolved a parallel economy which is not cash based but trash based. Urban material is emerging as a parallel currency which is not only addressing basic needs but also having a macro impact on curbing migration, improving sanitation & health and enhancing economic activities etc. Goonj has over the years turned massive disaster wastage into a resource for development work; right from Gujarat Earthquake to Tsunami, Bihar Floods (2008), Andhra Floods, Uttarakhand Floods, J & K Floods and Chennai floods more recently.
Video Goonj (NGO)
History
Goonj, formed in 1999 by Anshu Gupta, started with 67 clothes and now deals with over 3000 tonnes of material every year. It is registered under Societies Act and registered for exemption under section 80 G, 12 A and for foreign contributions- under FCRA.
Anshu's own epiphany came in meeting a poorly-clad six-year- old girl who grew up with corpses because her father eked out a living picking up abandoned dead bodies and cremating them for a fee. When he asked the girl what she did to avoid the cold in Delhi's harsh winter, she said: "When I feel cold, I hug a dead body and sleep."
It started the 'Not Just a Piece of Cloth' (NJPC) campaign, after the 2004 tsunami, when its Chennai centre was flooded with old, donated clothes which were usable. These clothes were disinfected, washed, and recycled into pads which were then placed in cotton bags to make sanitary napkins called "My Pads". By 2014, 4 million pads were distributed at nominal cost of INR2 (3.1¢ US), to the poor who cannot afford commercial sanitary pads. The campaign subsequently won the World Bank's Global Development Marketplace Award (2009) and Changemaker's Innovation Award (2009), and was LAUNCH Innovation Challenge in 2012, in "Beyond Waste" theme, which is sponsored by NASA, Nike and US Agency for International Development.
In 2009, it was one of the first organizations to join the Joy of Giving Week, later renamed Daan Utsav (Donation Festival), an annual week-long donation drive, starting Gandhi Jayanti October 2-8. During the week Goonj runs a nationwide campaign, where people from across India contribute under-underutilized goods and clothes from their homes, offices and schools in urban area to be distributed to rural and poor areas.
Maps Goonj (NGO)
Projects
Cloth for Work
Goonj launched the Cloth for Work (CFW) programme, evolving two new currencies of development - material and labour. In CFW, Goonj works with partners and communities to identify infrastructural improvements that need to be undertaken in the villages. Villagers then work to dig wells, clean ponds, repair roads, and build schools in the community, for which they are compensated with material resources like clothing, utensils, furniture, and foodgrains.
Not Just a piece of Cloth
In 2004, Goonj started providing affordable (Rs.5 for a pack of five sanitary napkins) easy-to-use clean cloth napkin made out of waste cloth for women in villages and slums. They found clothing gave these women, who neglect or are ignorant of this critical health issue, a sense of dignity and self-respect. Today, Goonj pads -- called MyPads is 100 per cent biodegradable, and can be either reused or disposed of.
School to School
The program uses a unique school kit designed by Goonj to promote participation of children. Goonj begins with sessions in urban school followed by a visit to the Goonj centers where they learn about recycling. Urban children contribute their old school supplies to create a school kit which consists of bags, pencils, uniforms etc. Goonj also creates activity centers in village schools and awards the school kits while engaging the children in other activities.
Campaigns
Ek Jodi Kapda
In 2010, the Ek Jodi Kapda project was launched along with Whirlpool Corporation where various centers were opened to collect donated clothes.
Joy of Exchange
In 2011, the Joy of Exchange campaign was a joint initiative by Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Limited and Goonj. Drop boxes were set up at various Pantaloons offices pan India.
In 2013, this is a joint effort by Johnson's Baby India in association with Goonj. Various dropping centers were set up to collect children clothes, toys, books and other belongings.
Look Good Do good
In 2016, the Look Good Do Good project was initiated along with Raymond which offered free custom tailoring services on new pair of trousers in exchange of old trousers. This Trouser Exchange Program offered every customer of Raymond a chance to give away their old trousers that would reach to people in need.
Flood relief
Goonj has worked flood relief, "Flood Overcome Programme on 2013 Uttarakhand floods and presently working on 2014 Kashmir floods, through the project known as "Rahat Floods", collecting relief supplies from people across India. In 2017, Goonj is working consistently with the millions of flood affected states of North eastern, Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Gujarat for relief & rehab.
Recognitions to Goonj
July'15: Ramon Magsaysay Award 2015 to Mr. Anshu Gupta, Founder, Goonj.
Nov' 14: Goonj won the Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award
August' 14: Asia's leading magazine 'The Top 10 of Asia' featured Mr. Anshu Gupta, Founder Goonj among Asia's top 10 social entrepreneurs.
July' 14: Goonj is in 'The Purpose Economy 100 Asia' list.
July' 14: Goonj chosen among 100 leading Global Green Innovations by the prestigious think tank SUSTAINIA
Feb'14: Goonj listed among The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in India, by Fast Company.
Nov' 12: Anshu Gupta, Founder Goonj gets 'Social Entrepreneur of the year award' by Schwab Foundation, sister concern of the World Economic Forum.
July' 12: Goonj recognized as 'Game Changing Innovation' by NASA & US State Dept.
June' 12: GDN-Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project
Feb'12: Edelgive Social honor for Goonj's Not Just a Piece of Cloth initiative
Dec'11: SAFRG award for initiatives in raising resources
Nov'10: Anshu Gupta listed in Forbes as one of India's most powerful rural entrepreneurs.
May'10: 'Innovation for India' award by Marico for developing innovative solution by using old cloth and other material.
March'10: Jamnalal Bajaj CFBP Award for 'Fair Practices'
Nov'09: 'Lien i3 Challenge Award' for the initiative Cloth for Work
June'09: Changemaker's Innovation Award for the initiative Not just a piece of cloth(NJPC)
March 2009: CNN IBN's 'Real Heros' award to Anshu Gupta in women welfare segment.
March 2008: India NGO of the year' award by Resource Alliance.
May 2007: Goonj's Not just a piece of cloth initiative won World Bank's Global Development Market Place Award.
2006: Changemaker's Innovation Award, second time, for Goonj's disaster relief initiative RAHAT.
2004: Prestigious Ashoka Fellowship to Anshu Gupta, for his innovative idea & its mass social impact.
2004: Goonj won Changemaker's Innovation Award for its School to School initiative.
References
- "Goonj: A ready to wear label for the poor". Good News magazine.
External links
- Goonj, official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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