ABOUT GOONJ
Goonj is one of India's most respected non-profit organizations, because our work is of, by and for the people we serve/
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“Goonj celebrates each person’s wisdom, talent and dignity as we all work together to build better lives
and a better world.”
- Anita Patil | Team Goonj
Mission & Vision
Goonj aims to build an equitable relationship of strength, sustenance, and dignity between the cities and villages, using under-utilized material as a tool to trigger development with dignity.
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We envision growing as an idea across regions, economies, and countries using urban surplus material as a tool to address basic but neglected issues of the financially and materially poor, involving them in designing and implementing their own solutions
Our
Values
1. Value localized solutions by engaging local resources, wisdom, and efforts.
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2. Improve before we Change; always value and explore the potential of what the world already has, focusing on circularity – material, people, relationships, talent or resources.
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3. Value collaboration in every sphere to increase effectiveness and scale.
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4. See every entity as a stakeholder in the process of development.
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5. Focus on the missed-out; people, material, needs, issues, geographies and relationships.
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6. Most importantly, our actions never undermine the dignity of those with whom we work and stand.
Initiatives
Since 1999, Goonj has built a network of communities from urban to village India, channelizing material as a tool to address crucial gaps in rural infrastructure, water, environment, livelihood, education, health, disaster relief and rehabilitation. Its engagement with both the urban and rural population has galvanized a mass civic participation in addressing basic but neglected issues. Goonj’s model of development implemented through its various Initiatives proposes a more inclusive alternative economy where everyone is an equal stakeholder in the process.
“Though I manage programs across the state of Bihar, I really see myself as a student — the villagers we serve teach me something important every day.”
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- Sheoji Chaturvedi | Program Officer, Goonj Bihar
Our Processing Centers
Goonj Processing Centers are first point where all material collected from the cities goes through a rigorous process of sorting, segregating, repairing and packing before dispatching it to the remotest villages of India.
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Why Processing? Because the dignity of the receiver and giving with dignity is at the center of all that we do.. because when people in remote villages of India work for many days on building a bamboo bridge or digging a well or building a community hall, they deserve a reward… NOT Charity.
Our Design
& Strategy
Principles
1. Value localized solutions by engaging local resources, wisdom, and efforts.
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2. Improve before we Change; always value and explore the potential of what the world already has, focusing on circularity – material, people, relationships, talent or resources.
​
3. Value collaboration in every sphere to increase effectiveness and scale.
​
4. See every entity as a stakeholder in the process of development.
​
5. Focus on the missed-out; people, material, needs, issues, geographies and relationships.
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6. Most importantly, our actions never undermine the dignity of those with whom we work and stand.
Founder's Profile
Anshu Gupta is an Indian Social Entrepreneur, awarded Magsaysay Award for his work on transforming the culture of giving in India and for highlighting material as a sustainable development resource for the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Popularly known as the Clothing Man, Anshu founded Goonj, offering a sustainable economic model for eliminating poverty and related issues. Under his leadership, Goonj created a barter between urban surplus and village communities labor, triggering large scale rural development work. Anshu has won many national and international honors like Ashoka and Schwab Fellowship, while Forbes Magazine has listed him as one of India’s most powerful rural entrepreneurs.
“Goonj is so effective because their work is rooted in deep-seated beliefs about self-determination. We are committed to sharing those beliefs with nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and students around the world.”
- Bill Toliver | Goonj Foundation