GOONJ – Empowering the unprivileged

Anshu Gupta is a social entrepreneur who received Magsaysay Award for his commitment to changing culture and emphasizing materials as a sustainable development resource for the poor, founded the organisation. Goonj focuses on offering communities in rural villages the tools they need to tackle their own challenges. They have created a culture of thoughtful giving in urban India over the past 19 years. The Organisation gathers large quantities of everyday essentials, such as clothing and medications and provides them to the needy. 

The shocking realisation led to the birth of Goonj  

Goonj was founded on the real-life experiences of its founder, Anshu Gupta, who recognized that clothing is a basic necessity of life.  During his stay in Delhi, he encountered a man during his visit who was driving a rickshaw with a message on his rickshaw that said “Laawarish Lash Uthanewala” ( “one who picks up unclaimed dead bodies”) When he inquired, he discovered that he was charged twenty rupees and two metres of fabric for each dead body he transported to the cremation. His little daughter informed him that when she gets chilly, she sleeps by hugging a dead body. These statements gave him a deeper understanding of the underappreciated problem of many disadvantaged people not having adequate clothing. This realisation sparked in him the desire to bring attention to the suffering of millions of people due to a lack of adequate clothes, as well as the desire to form an organisation that would later be known as “Goonj.”

Unique Concept – Work on Projects to help Yourself 

The primary goal of the organisation is to provide the underprivileged with basic clothing, however, the NGO does not consider this to be charity. People use it as cash to improve their own living situations. The poor are required to work in order to get assistance. Cleaning ponds, constructing bridges, paving roads, and constructing/improving school infrastructure are examples of basic yet vital undertakings. Projects that will provide them with basic necessities such as clean water and education. 

How does Goonj manage to pull it off?

Goonj sells clothing in 22 states across the country.  The collection of materials is followed by classifying them by size, gender, age, and occasion, as well as inspecting for quality. These are then wrapped into gunny bags and sent to far-flung sites via container trucks. The whole supply chain must be meticulously planned from beginning to end. 

Accolades across the Globe

Goonj has been appreciated across the world for its efforts. It has won the Changemaker’s Innovation Award. Anshu Gupta, the founder was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015. He was also awarded NASA’s and the US state department’s award as a ‘Game-Changing Innovation’ and recipient of the prestigious award from the Japanese government.