Goonj is a non-governmental organisation based in Delhi, India which undertakes disaster relief, humanitarian aid and community development in parts of 21 states across India. Goonj is the first to Highlight clothing as a basic but unaddressed need which deserves a place on the development agenda.
Contents
- History
- Cloth for Work
- Not Just a piece of Cloth
- School to School
- Ek Jodi Kapda
- Flood relief
- Recognitions to Goonj
- References
It recycles discarded clothes and household goods into useful products for the poor, such as sanitary napkins. It collects and delivers 1,000 tons of material every year through a network of 500 volunteers and 250 partners. It also runs infrastructure and local development projects in villages and slum areas.
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.
History
It was founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta, who left his corporate job to start the organisation in Sarita Vihar, New Delhi.
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, 2.5 million pads were distributed at nominal cost of ₹2 (3.0¢ 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 started 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, people contribute under-underutilized goods and clothes from their homes, offices and schools in urban area to be distributed to rural and poor areas. By 2014, the programed involved over 100,000 students in more than 1,000 schools across India, plus its Design for Change (DfC) contest ran in over 30 countries. The contest requires students to conceptualize and execute "social change solutions" and subsequently share their learnings.
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.
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.
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.
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 ‘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.