Goonj
NGOFeed VerifiedGoonj focuses on transforming urban discards into resources for rural communities, addressing needs like education, menstrual hygiene, and essential supplies. It has repurposed materials, including 250 tons of cloth for mattresses and over 4 million sanitary pads made from waste to combat menstrual taboos. Through innovative initiatives, Goonj incentivizes rural education, raises awareness on menstrual health, and provides essential items like school supplies, food, and clothing. Founded by Anshu Gupta, a 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient, Goonj exemplifies sustainable and impactful social change.
About Us
Goonj's primary focus is on finding useful ways to transform the discard of urban houses into resources for villages. For example, it used 250 tons of discarded cloth to create traditional mattresses and quilts. Goonj uses material from urban schools as incentives to bring rural children to attend school, enhance their learning experience, and allow their parents to use their financial resources for other needs. The organization also works to raise awareness regarding menstrual hygiene and fight against the idea that the topic is too private or dangerous to talk about or make public. Hence, over 4.0 million sanitary pads have been produced out of waste cloth and distributed in villages and slums to address the taboo around the subject. Goonj holds exhibitions that address menstruation and the issues surrounding this taboo topic. Goonj accepts donations for school materials; such as stationery, water bottles, lunch boxes, etc; old sarees; old spectacles and sunglasses; simple food such as rice, pulses, tea leaves, sugar, salt and used paper. Founder Anshu Gupta received the 2015 Ramon Magsaysay award.
Vision & Mission
Our Vision
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, with their own efforts, knowledge, and dignity, and material as a reward for their participation.
Our Mission
We ignite the self-worth and dignity of common people across the villages and cities of India and mobilize them as equal stakeholders — inspiring them to leverage the value and potential of all they have — to solve their challenges.
Focus Areas
Our Programs
Green by Goonj
Green by Goonj is a unique initiative that empowers women artisans from remote and underserved areas by showcasing their handmade, upcycled products. This special edition collection features modern, aesthetic, and functional handicrafts, crafted from materials that would otherwise be considered waste in urban settings. Key aspects of the initiative: ✔ Empowering Women Artisans – Provides a sustainable livelihood by promoting their craftsmanship. ✔ Upcycling & Sustainability – Transforms discarded materials into beautiful, functional products. ✔ Promoting Handmade Crafts – Highlights traditional skills through a contemporary product range. ✔ Dedicated E-commerce Platform – Products are displayed and sold through a separate online store.
Impact / Milestones
Key Milestones & Achievements
- Free education, nutrition, medical treatment, coaching, counseling, awareness, parents meeting, training of staff
Honors & Recognitions
- Goonj received the Leader in Volunteer Engagement award from iVolunteer India.
- Anshu Gupta received Fellow of Asia Society, 2008.
- Goonj and its rural partnership network – Sanjha recognized among the Top 50 organizations in the Covid Last Mile Responders list by World Economic Forum.
- 2021 : ‘Safar’ by Mr. Kireet Khurana based on words by Mr. Anshu Gupta, (Founder, Goonj) wins the Best Animation Film Award at LAMPA International Film Festival, Moscow, ’21
- Goonj received Mackenzie Scott Gift to continue its work on ground
- Jan 2021 : Recognition by Rajasthan Patrika
- Oct 2020 : Marico Innovation Awards
- 2020 : Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice ‘for its phenomenal achievements in easing the lives of countless Indians from the terrors of this pandemic’
- Dec 2019 : Lakshmipat Singhania Award-IIM Lucknow National Leadership Award for his Community Service & Social upliftment work
- Aug’19: CEO Awards 2019 “Social Stalwart Award” to Mr. Anshu Gupta
- April 2019: CFBP Council for Fair Business Practices awarded Goonj for the second time, Jamnalal Bajaj Award for Fair Business Practices
- Feb’18: AIMA (All India Management Association) Award to Anshu Gupta
- Dec’17: Rahat– Goonj’s disaster relief and rehabilitation effort received iF Social Impact Prize
- July’17:Curry Stone Design Prize recognized Anshu Gupta , Founder Goonj as the Social Design Circle honoree
- July’15: Ramon Magsaysay Award to Mr. Anshu Gupta, Founder of Goonj for transforming giving as a developmental approach.
- Nov’14: Goonj wins Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award.
- Aug’14: Asia’s leading English magazine ‘The Top 10 of Asia’ features Anshu Gupta, Founder Goonj among Asia’s top 10 social entrepreneurs.
- July’14: Goonj is one amongst ‘The Purpose Economy 100 Asia’
- July’14: Goonj gets chosen among 100 leading Global Green Innovations of the prestigious think tank SUSTAINIA
- Feb’14: Goonj gets a place among The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in India in a listing by Fast Company
- Nov’12: ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year Awardto Anshu Gupta, Founder of Goonj by Schwab Foundation
- July’12: GOONJ gets chosen as ‘Game Changing Innovation’ by NASA and US State Dept.
- June’12: GDN Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project
- Feb’12: GOONJ wins Edelgive award in health & wellbeing category.
- Nov’10: Anshu Gupta gets listed in international Forbes magazine as one of India’s most powerful rural entrepreneurs.
- May’10: Innovation for India award by Marico for developing innovative solution by using old cloth and other material.
- March’10: Goonj wins ‘Jamnalal Bajaj CFBP Award’ for Fair Practices
- Nov’09: ‘Cloth for Work’ wins international Lien i3 Challenge Award
- June’09: ‘Not Just a Piece of Cloth’ wins GOONJ’s third Changemaker’s Innovation Award
- March’09: CNN IBN’s Real Heros Award to Anshu Gupta in women welfare segment.
- March’08: GOONJ wins India NGO of the Year Award in a nationwide search & selection by Resource Alliance.
- May’07: GOONJ’s sanitary napkin project Not Just a Piece of Clothwins World Bank’s Global Development Market Place Award.
- July’07: Vastra Samman recognized as one of The Good Practices by Dubai International Awards.
- 2006: Wins the prestigious Changemakers Innovation Award,the second time, for Rahat, our disaster relief initiative
- 2004: Prestigious Ashoka Fellowship to Anshu Gupta for his innovative idea & its mass social impact.
- 2004: GOONJ wins Changemakers Innovation Award for its School to School initiative.
Registration & Verification
Our Team
Anshu Gupta
President
Meenakshi Gupta
Member
Keshav Chaturvedi
Secretary
Saloni Malhotra
Member
Vishal Talreja
Treasurer
Amir Ullah Khan
Member
Pavithra Yagati Sundareshan
Member
Location
J-93, Sarita Vihar
New Delhi, Delhi, 110076
India
New Delhi, Delhi
Address Map Location
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