India generates 8.5% of the world's textile urban surplus, a significant portion of which comes from pre- and post-production processes in the garment and textile industries. Yet, much of this waste—whether surplus fabric, defective pieces, or discarded garments—ends up in landfills or incinerators, contributing to environmental degradation.
Read More >Grassroots Innovations
Periyarkavala Village Unites to Restore Vital Roadway
Periyarkavala village, situated along the Periyar River in the Idukki district, relies on farming and daily wage labor for its livelihood. With its rich soil, the village thrives on cultivating cardamom and coffee.
Read More >Empowering Sankarpurva: Community-Led Infrastructure Enhancements for Dignity and Health
Recent actions by the women of Sankarpurva village in Bundelkhand has not only transformed the village infrastructure but have also addressed many a persistent problems of the community. It started with Team Goonj travelling 55 km from Banda (district headquarters) to Sankarpurva to organize a NJPC session with the village community. The meeting primarily aimed to raise awareness and foster education on the subject of menstruation,
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Read More >Empowering Kottuvally: Community-Led Canal De-silting Enhances Rural Livelihoods
- To live on a land surrounded by a network of inland canals might seem like a dream to many. But, for the people of Kottuvally village in Ernakulam district of Kerala, it sometimes can turn out to be their biggest nightmare. The accumulation of waste and muck hinders the natural flow of the water in these canals…thus,
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Read More >Empowering Apithi: Community-Built Bathing Facilities Enhance Women’s Dignity and Health
Even today the word ‘menstruation’ is surrounded by stigma and talked about with hesitation. People of Apithi village in Odisha are no exception. With similar apprehensions the village women were unable to talk about their menstrual health and hygiene till Team Goonj reached Apithi to conduct a NJPC session. Initially, the women were shy and embarrassed but soon they opened up about their issues.
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Read More >Empowering Bharatpura: Community-Led Conversations on Menstrual Hygiene & Rural Development
When we started working in Bundelkhand, our utmost priority was to reach the tribes of the hilly remote areas, and Bharatpura is one such village in Lalitpur district of the region. During the pandemic, adhering to all health guidelines and needs, we had started our ‘Dignity For Work’ (DFW) initiative in the village where the community cleaned a modest patch of land and leveled it up with soil to make a playground for children.
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Read More >Empowering Alshigad: Community-Led Environmental Conservation and Water Management
Located in the foothills of the Aravalli, Alshigad village in Udaipur district of Rajasthan has been subjected to continuous deforestation and soil erosion for a long time. It was in the wake of this situation that the concerned villagers decided to act on it. Soon, they were joined by their brethren who had migrated to the cities but had returned to the village following the lockdown.
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Read More >Empowering Education: Patrapada Village Constructs Community Hall for Children’s Tuition
Education has the power to transform people’s lives. With this motto etched in their heart and mind, the villagers of Patrapada in Puri, Odisha, took a step towards knowledge when they decided, under Goonj’s ‘Dignity For Work’ initiative, that they want to build a community hall. And they were determined from the very beginning that the purpose of the hall won’t be entertainment or social gatherings.
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Read More >Building Bridges: Kalchini Community’s Initiative Over the Kaljani River
Have you walked 20 km to attend school? Or visited a neighbouring district only by foot? It might be beyond imagination for people like you and me, living the urban life, for whom hailing a cab comes as naturally as blinking. But for the majority of the population in rural India it’s a hardcore reality.
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Read More >Kumarpur Community Constructs Bus Stop Waiting Shed Enhancing Commuter Comfort
In the Nanivali village of Palghar district of Maharashtra, the bus stop by the main road offered no waiting shed for the locals. With waiting time extending for more than an hour on any normal day, people (including school going children) often had to stand in the open and had to face the vagaries of weather,
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Read More >Community Initiative: Constructing Pathways to Enhance Village Connectivity
Sandwiched between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand comprises 13 districts from both the states. With extreme temperatures in summers and winters, the region is prone to severe drought in the summers. With many of the tribal hamlets located on the hilly terrains, proper connectivity to mainstream society is still a distant dream for many in Bundelkhand.
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