A Collective Effort Rooted in Responsibility
In the heart of Tandur Village, nestled within Vikarabad District, a quiet yet powerful movement took shape in September 2023. The 600 students and staff of T.S. Residential Girls School decided to not just learn in classrooms, but to turn their 12-acre campus into a thriving green ecosystem — with their own hands.
This was no ordinary plantation drive. It was an act of ownership, resilience, and pride — one that turned a dusty campus into a living classroom on sustainability.
What Sparked the Plantation Drive
With due mobilisation and motivation from the Goonj Hyderabad team, the school’s leadership embraced the idea of greening their space — not as an event, but as a habit-forming community effort. The 12-acre campus was seen not as an empty expanse, but as a canvas for collective action.
Planting Seeds of Change, Together
Each day, hundreds of students arrived carrying tools — not driven by an external agency, but brought from home. Armed with water cans, grass-cutters, and hand tools, they:
- Cleared overgrown patches
- Leveled the ground
- Dug pits and planted over 4,060 saplings
- Took turns watering and maintaining the planted areas
This was not a symbolic gesture. It was a well-coordinated, school-wide campaign that turned the very act of planting trees into a deeply participatory, values-driven learning experience.
More Than Trees — A Sense of Shared Ownership
What emerged was more than a greener campus — it was a shift in mindset. Teachers and students shared responsibility for each sapling. Morning assemblies turned into quick briefings on plant care. School corridors echoed with conversations on soil, shade, and water conservation.
This is the spirit of “beyond relief” — when development is not delivered, but co-created.
Goonj’s Role – Enabling, Not Delivering
The Goonj Hyderabad team acted as facilitators. The tools, ideas, and energy came from the students and faculty themselves. Goonj’s enabled focus on encouraging this self-driven approach — celebrating effort, not aid.
Cleaned and leveled school campus
This model reflects the core of Goonj’s belief in dignity-based development — where rural and peri-urban communities take charge of their spaces with pride, not dependency.
From Tandur to Tomorrow
This initiative in Tandur is just one of many stories that show how young minds can lead environmental stewardship when given the chance. It reminds us that large-scale transformation begins with small, consistent acts — when hands join, and hearts believe.
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..
