More Than a Visit, A Realisation
On July 4th, a group of 15 Mumbai-based Goonj volunteers travelled to Palghar, not to contribute or supervise, but to witness. Most of them had been part of collection drives for years. But this was the first time they stepped into the other side of the journey: to see where the material goes, and more importantly, what it becomes.
Among the group was a young volunteer just 8 years old, who had earlier packed materials during the Kerala floods and helped his father with fundraising.
This was not just a trip. It was a full-circle moment.
A Warm Welcome in a Language of Its Own
The villagers welcomed the group with traditional dance and rituals. There were no speeches or ceremonies, just connection. Laughter. Movement. Shared intent.
Volunteers danced with villagers.
Then they walked the fields.
Then they listened.
What they saw was clear, direct, and profoundly moving: how a school kit isn’t just a bag, but access for a child walking 5 kilometres to school. How a cycle is not just a vehicle, but freedom.
From Awareness to Action
After the visit, the volunteers didn’t just leave with stories.
They left with plans.
The same day, they initiated a campaign to collect school kits and bicycles, not as charity, but as continuity.
“Now we feel like we can answer for every part of Goonj,” one said.
“The connection between what we collect and what happens after it’s clear now.”
Volunteer Voices: Raw, Reflective, Real
“Meeting all those whose lives Goonj has touched was heartwarming. Every deed matters.”
“We’ve never felt emotions and responsibility so strongly; this visit changed how we see giving.”
“We saw healthy communities, education kits, village-led progress, even Aasan-making units. We didn’t read about it. We lived it.”
One volunteer added:
“We now know the collection isn’t just a pile of things, it’s a tool for dignity. These camps must continue, and we must lead them better.”
A Bridge Rebuilt, From Urban Intent to Rural Action
What the volunteers witnessed wasn’t an NGO distributing goods. It was a community co-creating change with material once seen as surplus.
And what they carried back was more than memory.
It was a responsibility. It was rhythm. It was clarity.
Be a Part of Change
Our invitation to you is, start from where you are.. From a small change of starting a Goonj kee Gullak or Team 5000, joining a long and deep change process, or things in between- organising a collection drive, a volunteering journey, an internship, or simply walking with us signing for a Goonj monthly newsletter subscription.. More on www.goonj.org or write to [email protected].
Many options, but the choice is always one; Taking Action..
