Goonj (NGO)

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 focusses on clothing as a basic but unaddressed need.[1][2][3][4]

It was founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta. For his work with Goonj, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015[5] In 2012, he was named India’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 by Schwab Foundation, a sister organization of World Economic Forum.[3][6]

History

Goonj, formed in 1999 by Anshu Gupta,[7] 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.”[4]

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 ₹2 (2.8¢ US),[7] 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.[8][9]

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.[10]

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.[11]

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.[12]

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[13] 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[14] campaign was a joint initiative by Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Limited and Goonj. Drop boxes were set up at various Pantaloons offices pan India.

Share the Language of Love

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.[15]

Look Good Do good

In 2016, the Look Good Do Good[16] 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 engaged in flood relief activities with the "Flood Overcome" programme during the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, and on 2014 Kashmir floods through the project known as "Rahat Floods",and the 2018 kerala floods by collecting relief supplies from people across India.[17][18]

Awards

  • 2004: Goonj won Changemaker’s Innovation Award for its School to School initiative.[4]

References

  1. ↑ ""When we started, we did not even have a chair or table to work" – Anshu Gupta (Ramon Magsaysay Award Winner)". The Optimistcitizen. 12 August 2015.
  2. ↑ "Anil Gupta Picks India's Seven Most Powerful Entrepreneurs". Forbes. 11 Apr 2010. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  3. 1 2 "Anshu Gupta Honoured as India's Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  4. 1 2 3 "Anshu Gupta – Goonj Founder Who Taught India The Joy Of Giving". KnowYourStar. 3 October 2016.
  5. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sanjiv-chaturvedi-anshu-gupta-win-ramon-magsaysay-award/article7476975.ece
  6. ↑ "Goonj gets WEF award for social entrepreneurship". Indian Express. 8 Nov 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  7. 1 2 Hansika Subramanian, Dheera Gurnani (April 30, 2014). "NGO makes sanitary pads from waste cloth for rural women in India". Daily News & Analysis. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  8. ↑ Krishna, Geetanjali (September 13, 2014). "An empowering piece of cloth". Business Standard. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  9. ↑ "Anshu Gupta". LAUNCH. 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  10. ↑ "NGO asks Delhiites to donate clothes, books to needy". Indian Express. September 30, 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  11. ↑ "Cloth as currency – How Goonj is creating a parallel cashless economy". 13 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Not just a piece of cloth". 23 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Whirlpool partners NGO to help poor children". The Hindu Business Line. 2010-07-23. Retrieved 2017-09-11.
  14. ↑ "Pantaloons Joy Exchange - Give clothes, Get joy". pantaloonsindia.blogspot.in. Retrieved 2017-09-11.
  15. ↑ Pande, Bhanu (2012-05-18). "Johnson's Baby launches campaign to aid underprivileged children". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2017-09-11.
  16. ↑ Kumar, V Rishi (2016-08-12). "Raymond launches 'Look Good, Do Good' initiative with Goonj". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 2017-09-11.
  17. ↑ "Gurgaon chips in for Kashmir flood relief". The Times of India. Sep 11, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  18. ↑ Eram Agha (10 Sep 2014). "Donation drive for J&K victims in Aligarh". The Times of India. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  • Official website
  • "Goonj: A ready to wear label for the poor". Good News magazine.
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