Goonj (NGO)

2021-07-01T03:15:05Z

2409:4055:313:3220:59FF:1086:4A2B:300E: /* History */

{{short description|Indian humanitarian organization}}
{{Infobox organization
| logo = Goonj logo.png
| logo_size = 150px
Founded in- 1999
| founded = [[Anshu Gupta]]
| location = [[New Delhi, India]]
| homepage = {{URL|https://goonj.org/}}
| alt = Goonj
| name = Goonj
}}
'''Goonj''' is a non-governmental organisation headquartered in [[New Delhi]], [[India]] which undertakes disaster relief, humanitarian aid and community development in parts of 23 states across India. Goonj focuses on clothing as a basic but unaddressed need.<ref>{{cite web | title = "When we started, we did not even have a chair or table to work" – Anshu Gupta (Ramon Magsaysay Award Winner) |work= The Optimistcitizen | url = http://www.theoptimistcitizen.com/when-we-started-we-did-not-even-have-a-chair-or-table-to-work-anshu-gupta-magsaysay-award2015/|date=12 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Anil Gupta Picks India's Seven Most Powerful Entrepreneurs |work= Forbes | url = https://www.forbes.com/2010/11/01/honeybee-network-anil-gupta-opinions-power-10-indian-entrepreneurs_slide_4.html|date=11 Apr 2010| access-date = 2014-10-13 }}</ref><ref name="world" /><ref name="KnowYourStar">{{cite web | title = Anshu Gupta – Goonj Founder Who Taught India The Joy Of Giving | url = http://www.knowyourstar.com/anshu-gupta-goonj/|date= 3 October 2016| publisher = KnowYourStar}}</ref>

It was founded in 1999 by [[Anshu Gupta]].<ref name="Goonj Reference2">{{cite news |title=India's 'Clothing Man' goes beyond cloth |url=https://atlasofthefuture.org/project/goonj/ |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=Atlas of the Future |date=1 March 2021}}</ref> For his work with Goonj, he was awarded the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] in 2015.<ref>http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sanjiv-chaturvedi-anshu-gupta-win-ramon-magsaysay-award/article7476975.ece</ref> In 2012, he was named India's Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 by [[Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship|Schwab Foundation]], a sister organization of [[World Economic Forum]].<ref name="world">{{cite web|title=Anshu Gupta Honoured as India's Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 |work=World Economic Forum |url=http://www.weforum.org/news/anshu-gupta-honoured-india-s-social-entrepreneur-year-2012 |access-date=2014-10-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019091838/http://www.weforum.org/news/anshu-gupta-honoured-india-s-social-entrepreneur-year-2012 |archive-date=2014-10-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Goonj gets WEF award for social entrepreneurship |work=Indian Express | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/goonj-gets-wef-award-for-social-entrepreneurship/1028400|date= 8 Nov 2012| access-date = 2014-10-13 }}</ref>

==History==
Goonj, formed in 1999 by [[Anshu Gupta]],<ref name=dna>{{cite web | title = NGO makes sanitary pads from waste cloth for rural women in India |work=Daily News & Analysis | url = http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report-ngo-makes-sanitary-pads-from-waste-cloth-for-rural-women-in-india-1983603 |author=Hansika Subramanian, Dheera Gurnani|date=April 30, 2014| access-date = 2014-10-13 }}</ref> started with 67 clothes and now it deals over 3500 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. A couple of real life incidents prompted Anshu Gupta and realise that clothing was overlooked as a basic human right. Once while he was travelling in [[Delhi]], [[India]]'s capital,he met a man called Habib, with his rickshaw(three wheeled cart) who had written on the side of his rickshaw,“Laawarish lash Uthanewala”,meaning “person who picks up unclaimed dead bodies”.<ref name="Goonj Reference3" /> On discussion he found that for every dead body Habib carried to the crematorium, he was given a nominal charge of twenty rupees and two metres of cloth and shared that workload in [[winter]] is more than in [[summer]].<ref name="Goonj Reference3" /> Habib's little daughter Bano told Anshu, “When I feel cold, I hug a dead body to sleep.It does not turn around, it doesn’t trouble me”, and these words gave deeper insight to him about the overseen issue of many underprivileged of not having enough clothes.<ref name="Goonj Reference3" /> This issue had ignited in him the need to highlight the sufferings of millions of people due to short of sufficient clothing and a need to start organisation called "Goonj" with the help from his wife and other friends. Under this project they used old material as a product for maintaining human dignity rather than to give them as charity.

The 2004 [[tsunami]] gave way to Goonj's campaign "Not Just a Piece of Cloth" (NJPC) to emerge. The [[Chennai]] center was flooded with old but usable clothes during the relief phase. These clothes were then disinfected, washed, and recycled into pads and then placed in cotton bags to form Goonj's Dignity Kit. By 2014, 4 million pads just distributed at nominal cost of {{INR Convert|2}},<ref name=dna/> 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)|LAUNCH]] Innovation Challenge in 2012, in "Beyond Waste" theme, which is sponsored by [[NASA]], Nike and [[US Agency for International Development]].<ref name=bus>{{cite web | title = An empowering piece of cloth |work=[[Business Standard]]| url = http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/an-empowering-piece-of-cloth-114091201246_1.html |date=September 13, 2014| access-date = 2014-10-13 | first = Geetanjali | last = Krishna }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Anshu Gupta | work =LAUNCH | url = http://www.launch.org/innovators/anshu-gupta| date=2012|access-date = 2014-10-13 }}</ref>

In 2009, it joined 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.<ref name=exp11>{{cite web | title = NGO asks Delhiites to donate clothes, books to needy|work=Indian Express | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/ngo-asks-delhiites-to-donate-clothes-books-to-needy/853767/ |date=September 30, 2011| access-date = 2014-10-13 }}</ref>

In year 2015,Goonj shipped over 70,000 kgs of reusable material a month and has also recycled 1,000 tonnes of used clothes, household goods and other urban discards into usable resources for the poor and underprivileged.<ref name="Goonj Reference4" /> The organisation has also partnered with [[Oriflame]] [[India]],a subsidiary of [[Sweden|Swedish]] cosmetics major,for the collection of materials such as woolen clothes,toys,books and so on which are delivered to people in living in remote areas of country.<ref name="Goonj Reference6">{{cite news |title=Oriflame's philanthropic initiative for Deepalaya students |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/business/oriflame039s-philanthropic-initiative-for-deepalaya-students/ |access-date=9 April 2021 |publisher=ANI News |date=23 August 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

Goonj had been considerably successful as mass movement for the recycling and reuse of lot of additional clothing and other household consumables from India's rich to its poorest communities which would otherwise been discarded as waste.<ref name="Goonj Reference3">{{cite news |last1=Goldapple |first1=Lisa |title=India's 'Clothing Man' goes beyond cloth |url=https://atlasofthefuture.org/project/goonj/ |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=Atlas of the Future |date=1 March 2021}}</ref> The organisation had collaborated with lot of individuals and organisations at urban and rural level who help in mobilising,motivating,empowering and guiding communities so that they can identify local issues and resolve them through local people participation.<ref name="Goonj Reference3" />

Till March 2021,the organisation has reach out in 25 states across [[India]] and supports people affected during natural disasters, providing humanitarian aid and working through community based development and transports over 6 million kgs of different materials and circulates unusable cloth pieces into different types of products for urban and rural [[India]] under its "Green By Goonj" scheme.

== Initiatives ==
[[File:NJPC meeting.jpg|thumb|right|180px|A discussion on best practises around menstrual hygiene]]

===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.<ref>{{cite web | title = Cloth as currency – How Goonj is creating a parallel cashless economy | url = http://www.thealternative.in/business/cloth-currency-goonj-creating-parallel-cashless-economy/ |date=13 March 2015}}</ref> Recently the initiative had been renamed as "Dignity For Work",as villagers identify their issues and are rewarded for this with necessities to them like food, clothes, furniture, utensils, toys and food grains.<ref name="Goonj Reference3" />

===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.<ref>{{cite web | title = Not just a piece of cloth | url = http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/not-just-a-piece-of-cloth/article4010144.ece |date=23 July 2016}}</ref>

===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.<ref name="Goonj Reference1">{{cite news |title=Goonj launches ‘School to School’ scheme in Coimbatore |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/goonj-launches-school-to-school-scheme-in-coimbatore/article30854893.ece |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=The Hindu |date=19 February 2020 |language=en-IN}}</ref> Goonj also creates activity centers in village schools and awards the school kits while engaging the children in other activities.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} For promoting this initiative Goonj had collaborated with SNR and Sons Charitable Trust.<ref name="Goonj Reference1" />

== Campaigns ==

=== ''Ek Jodi Kapda'' ===
In 2010, the ''Ek Jodi Kapda''<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-marketing/whirlpool-partners-ngo-to-help-poor-children/article999208.ece|title=Whirlpool partners NGO to help poor children|date=2010-07-23|work=The Hindu Business Line|access-date=2017-09-11|language=en}}</ref> 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''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pantaloonsindia.blogspot.in/2011/11/pantaloons-joy-exchange-give-clothes.html|title=Pantaloons Joy Exchange - Give clothes, Get joy|website=pantaloonsindia.blogspot.in|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref> campaign was a joint initiative by [[Pantaloons Fashion & Retail|''Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Limited'']] and ''Goonj.'' Drop boxes were set up at various [[Pantaloon Retail India|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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/advertising/johnsons-baby-launches-campaign-to-aid-underprivileged-children/articleshow/13252257.cms|title=Johnson's Baby launches campaign to aid underprivileged children|last=Pande|first=Bhanu|date=2012-05-18|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref>

=== ''Look Good Do good'' ===
In 2016, the ''Look Good Do Good''<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/raymond-launches-look-good-do-good-initiative-with-goonj/article8979517.ece|title=Raymond launches 'Look Good, Do Good' initiative with Goonj|last=Kumar|first=V Rishi|date=2016-08-12|work=The Hindu Business Line|access-date=2017-09-11|language=en}}</ref> project was initiated along with [[Raymond Group|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 North India floods|2013 Uttarakhand floods]], and on [[2014 India–Pakistan floods|2014 Kashmir floods]] through the project known as "Rahat Floods", and the 2018 Kerala floods by collecting relief supplies from people across India.<ref>{{cite web | title = Gurgaon chips in for Kashmir flood relief | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Gurgaon-chips-in-for-Kashmir-flood-relief/articleshow/42207295.cms |date=Sep 11, 2014| access-date = 2014-10-13 | work =The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Donation drive for J&K victims in Aligarh | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/Donation-drive-for-JK-victims-in-Aligarh/articleshow/42197414.cms |author=Eram Agha|date= 10 Sep 2014| access-date = 2014-10-13 | work = The Times of India}}</ref>

==Awards==

* 2004: Goonj won Changemaker's Innovation Award for its School to School initiative.<ref name="KnowYourStar"/>
* For his work with Goonj Anshu Gupta was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015. [5]
* World Bank’s Development Marketplace award.<ref name="Goonj Reference3" />
* In 2012 NASA’s and the US state department's award as a ‘Game Changing Innovation’.<ref name="Goonj Reference4" /><ref name="Goonj Reference3" />
* Awarded the Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project by the Global Development Fund.<ref name="Goonj Reference4">{{cite news |last1=Rout |first1=Srinibas |title=10 things to know about Magsaysay award winner Anshu Gupta of Goonj |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/10-things-to-know-about-magsaysay-award-winner-anshu-gupta-of-goonj-115072900365_1.html |access-date=31 March 2021 |publisher=Business Standard India |date=29 July 2015}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Goonj (NGO)}}
* {{Official website|http://goonj.org/}}
* {{cite web | title = Goonj: A ready to wear label for the poor | url = http://www.goodnewsindia.com/index.php/magazine/story/goonj/ |work=Good News magazine }}

{{Indian non-profit}}
{{Non-governmental organizations in India}}

[[Category:Charities based in India]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Delhi]]
[[Category:Non-profit organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1999]]

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Goonj (NGO)