A Mother’s Words That Became a Lifelong Belief
When I was a child, my mother would often say to me and my sisters, “The world runs because of a few good people. No matter how many bad people are around us, never worry! A few good people will make the world run.”
So when situations around us looked bleak — when we saw pictures of flood and earthquake-affected people and understood that the little material we were collecting for them in school would not suffice — we were inspired by our mother to think of what we could do for them.
Mamma is a person with a golden heart. Hence, with her inspiration, when our school asked us to contribute 25 pooris and aloo sabzi for floods in Delhi in the late 70s or early 80s, we sisters decided to double or triple our contributions.
One winter, I gave away the sweater I was wearing to the dhobi’s little child when he came to collect clothes for ironing — and my mother scolded me with a smile! Every year on Dhanteras and Diwali, we bought diyas and candles from as many children as we could. The smiles on the faces of those children are still imprinted on my mind. These and many similar acts have now become kind of traditions which we are now passing on to our children.
Finding Resonance with Goonj
I guess how this connects me to Goonj is maybe obvious to people who have heard Anshu Gupta (Founder–Goonj and Gram Swabhimaan) during volunteer meet-ups or other forums — he usually says “Duniya achhe logon ki wajah se chalti hai.”
Having grown up with this thought, I feel kind of bound to Goonj with an unseen thread, sharing a philosophy that resonates deeply in my heart and motivates me to do what I can using the skills and means at my disposal.
Seeing the Growing Disparity
I look around and find people becoming immune to material and financial poverty. Believing that the growth in the number of tall, steel buildings, flashy malls, brand stores, and luxury cars seems to be the indicator of measuring progress.
Unfortunately, we fail to see and feel the gross disparity between all these markers of development and the people in our society. The many scenarios and incidents I read in newspapers or watch on the news constantly make me think how privileged and fortunate I am.
This disparity also leads to a situation where, on one side, there are people with barely enough means of survival, and on the other, there is a lot of surplus in the hands of a few — leading to massive generation of discarded and waste material.
Not only does this imbalance highlight the economic and social disparity between people, it also means that we are not developing in a sustainable way and are creating a huge environmental debt which will make the lives of future generations difficult. All this discarded material will become both a cause and a consequence of climate change.
Turning Reflection into Action
However, feeling for the less fortunate or thinking about them alone will not help them or help us. Similarly, worrying about or discussing climate change and its impact on the earth without changing our habits and lifestyles will not reduce the environmental impact of human activities.
These thoughts and feelings need to convert into action if we actually wish to bring about a change in the life of even one person. That is my motivation to work with Goonj in whatever form and format I can.
A Circle of Hope
I organise collection camps, anchor events, review processes and systems, or write and edit articles. All these activities and any others that Goonj asks me to be a part of — I participate as it gives me a sense of fulfilment, a sense of positivity, and strengthens my hope that one day, the world will become a better place for everyone irrespective of their background, their means, their nationality, race, colour or religion.
Working with Goonj helps me to meet lots of people, make many friends, and see the best side of human beings. Truly, the world is running because there are many good people!
About the Author
Jagriti Yadav is an IT leader with a deep passion for giving back to the community. Her journey with Goonj began as a contributor, and over the past two decades, she has remained a dedicated volunteer, actively strengthening its mission in every way she can.
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