March 2025 Issue #68
We celebrated Cloth Day across India on February 18th. We spun stories, created Goonj Kee Gullaks, and demonstrated how cloth embodies much more than mere fabric. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated. Let’s keep the momentum going because though it is a piece of cloth but it can be so more…Learn more at www.cloth.day
The Season of Chaupal has begun! An annual gathering by Goonj, Chaupal is a unique space where changemakers, social innovators, and conscious citizens come together to discuss, reflect, and act on pressing societal issues.
What to Expect?
- New Journeys & Deeper Journeys – Engage in thought-provoking conversations with Anshu Gupta, founder- Goonj and Gram Swabhimaan
- Disasters – Myths & Realities – Explore a powerful photo exhibition uncovering the truth behind disasters.
- Post-Lunch Strategy Session – A focused discussion on regional strategies and the way forward with key volunteers and well-wishers.
Our next stop is Kolkata this March!
Join us at Kolkata Chaupal, where ideas brew like chai, and debates echo through the streets. Then, in April, we’re heading to Dehradun! Invite your family and friends to participate.
Chaupal Mumbai 2025 was a heartfelt gathering of old friends and volunteers, and new joinees. We explored new journeys—from strengthening the Goonj Alliance for Rapid Response on Disasters (GARRD) to expanding possibilities within our network through bulk material and the commitment of Team 5000. A particularly powerful moment was when Anshu Gupta spoke about Gram Swabimaan, sparking deep resonance around the urgency for a new language that truly acknowledges people and their potential.
Since 2005, Goonj has mobilized urban resources and community efforts to drive sustainable development across rural Maharashtra. Goonj’s Initiatives in Maharashtra:
- Water Conservation: Rainwater harvesting, well-cleaning, and watershed management.
- Livelihood Restoration: Occupational kits for farmers, barbers, and artisans
- Menstrual Health: Chuppi Todo Baithaks to break stigma and distribute cloth sanitary pads
- Education: Access to school materials and improving infrastructure
- Disaster Response: Relief and rehabilitation through Rahat
- Environmental Conservation: Plantation drives and kitchen gardens
Read our State Report with latest updates of our work in Maharashtra
Our approach emphasizes community participation, where people contribute their labor and grassroots wisdom and tap on local resources for community led rural development. We collaborate with urban volunteers, corporate partners, and rural grassroots organizations to ensure sustainable impact across rural communities in Maharashtra.
Read some impact stories that showcase dignified development and community resilience
Ashabai Yadav, a daily wage farm labourer who participated in the Goonj initiative, said: “The work we would get during the sugarcane harvest season completely stopped in Covid..But now we come to work here and get a daily earning of Rs 200. We are a group of 40 women and work here for fifteen days. The rest of the days we work in nearby villages and it adds up to cover our living expenses. We do not have to go out to search, mostly fruitlessly, for work anymore.”
How did Beed’s farmers turn the tide on distress migration? Dive into their journey of resilience and revival
Goonj’s School to School initiative bridges this gap by channeling underutilized school materials from urban areas to rural schools—not as charity, but as a reward for positive change.
Once neglected, Andharisole Primary School in West Medinipur is an inspiring example of community action. With community mobilization and Goonj’s intervention—including a library, a computer, and exposure visits—students embraced cleanliness, hygiene, and responsibility, leading to 100% enrollment. “Material essentials are necessary to secure student participation & community involvement,” shares head teacher Harish Chandra Bera, who worked tirelessly to inspire lasting behavioral change. From West Bengal to Uttarakhand and Bihar, countless schools are experiencing similar change through our School to School initiative.
We are back with Khushiyon Ka Recycle campaign, a part of School to School initiative, we channel preloved school essentials from cities to rural communities. This initiative not only provides crucial supplies but also nurtures dignity and motivation among young learners.
Join us in recycling joy and bridging gaps in education.