“ One of the key behavioural changes which I think is that now I have become way  much more mindful of the privileges that I’ve had. With respect to the past few months,  I’ve grown up in a very sheltered and privileged environment. Stepping out of my  comfort zone and in such a big way has made me more resilient and adaptable as a  person.”

This fellowship has been all about meeting new people, listening to different stories and experiencing and exploring new prospects. The most important and valuable gain I have gotten from is the ‘safe space’ from my fellow ‘fellows’. Sharing our experiences and learnings and so much more in between. This feeling of camaraderie and belonging is what this Fellowship had given me.

“These past few months have been extremely humbling. I have had the chance to meet people from so many different backgrounds – from the fanciest corporate offices in Mumbai to people begging on the streets. This has made me understand different lives and livelihoods. Each and every task during the course of the fellowship has given me a chance to introspect and acknowledge the privilege in my life. It has made me self-aware and has given me new perspectives to approach issues.”

“The fellowship experience has been very equivocal for me. With each passing day you get to learn a new reality as to how things function on ground, and the more you learn, the more unlearning happens. At times it gets overwhelming, but other times it helps me to gain a better perspective. This journey is definitely something to embark upon as it helps us to broaden our vision and align it with the everyday realities in which we live.”

“My journey is a word would be: Emotion, Goonj is an emotion to me. The journey as a fellow has been an eye opening experience yet filled with small junctures of overwhelming moments because what I saw at ease or worked effortlessly has been built by the continuous effort of so many members.

I had got a glimpse of the value Goonj does of every shred of cloth yet being a fellow I am living that feeling every day.. It made me look at realities, situations and problems with a different perspective. It gave me a new family who is pushing me into newer situations to tackle with uninterrupted guidance.”