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ThisCoupleinIndiaIsTurningDiscardedClothingIntoSomethingEveryWomanNeedsYahooNews

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ThisCoupleinIndiaIs
TurningDiscarded
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ByEshaChhabra|Takepart.com
December22,20144:16PM
Takepart.com

AFP

SeparatistmilitantskilldozensinIndia's
northeast

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OddNews

AnshuGupta,aDelhinative,isthebrainchildbehindthe

Local

organization,calledGoonj.Goonjmeans"echo"inHindianapt

DearAbby

nameforanentitydevotedtogivingtrashnewlife.Weoperatein

Comics

aparalyticnorm,hesays,Itsnotcashbasedbuttrashbased.

ABCNews

Gupta,withhiswife,Meenakshi,startedtheorganizationin1999

YahooOriginals

afterseeingtheeffectsofDelhischillywinternightsonrickshaw

Photos

wallahsandhomelesspeople.Withoutwarmclothing,manywould

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Clothing,Guptasays,isstillnotseenasanissueonthe

AssociatedPress

developmentagenda.Yet,inIndia,apopularsloganhasbeen
roti,kapra,makan,or"bread,clothing,andshelter"thebasic
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necessitiesoflife.
Gupta,aproductofthemiddleclass,decidedtouseIndias

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boomingmiddleclasstofuelhisnewventure.AsmoreIndians

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gainedwealthanddisposableincome,theyfattenedtheir

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wardrobesaswell.Hence,anincreaseinwasteor,somemight
say,excess.Tobalancethis,GuptainvitedDelhifamiliestosend
unwantedclothingtohishome,promisingtodonateittothosewho
neededitmost.
Atthetime,IdidntknowwhatanNGOwas,hejokes.Ididnt
knowhowmanyeswereinentrepreneur.

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Buttheideagrewtomorethanjustofferingclothingtothecoldand

Reuters

homelessinDelhi.HesawhowdifficultitwasforIndianwomen
whodidnthaveaccesstotoiletries,padsinparticular,duringtheir
menstrualcycle.
Whenyoucandistributecondoms,howcomesanitarypadsare
notavailable?Guptasays,questioningthegovernmentsabilityto
providecondomsforprotectionbutnofemalehygieneproductsat

Heromonkeyreviveselectrocutedfriend

primaryhealthcenters.
Usingthedonatedfabric,Guptadevelopedasimpleclothpad,a
stripwithfabricrolledupinit,thathecalledMyPad.Thefrugal
solutionwasrecognizedbytheWorldBankin2007asasolution
toaseriousproblemplaguinglowincomewomen.Goonj
partneredwithNGOsandwomensselfhelpgroupstodistribute
thepadstoruralwomensomeorganizationsevenpurchasedthe
padsfromGoonjbeforehandingthemouttotheirconstituency.

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againstObama
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Whiletherecycledpadstookoff,Guptawasstillleftwithwaste,
andastheorganizationgrew,peoplestartedsendinginallkindsof
unwanteditemstoys,books,bags,bedding.Muchofitisset
asidetodonatetolibrariesandusefordisasterrelief.Inan
averageyear,Goonjgivesawayabout2millionpoundsofclothing
andtrinkets.With11centersinIndia,itcanservenearly1million
people.

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ThebitsandbobsthathavenoprimarypurposeinruralIndiaare
upcycledintobagsandaccessories(keychains,bookmarks).
Jeans,forinstance,apopularstapleofwomeninthecity,arenot
asfashionableinthecountryside,wherewomendressin
traditionalsarisandsalwarkameez(tunicandpants).Sojeans
areconvertedintoschoolbags.
WomensitatantiqueSingersewingmachines,convertingthe

Thenandnow:DevastatingIndianOcean
tsunami,10yearslater

scrapsintobags,quilts,andevenunderwear.Theirofferingsare
beingnoticedbycompaniesandorganizationslookingto
purchasemoreecofriendlyproductsforeventsandconferences.

Forinstance,JagritiYatra,anationwideorganizationthattakes
500aspiringyoungIndianentrepreneursonatwoweekjourney

OfficerkillsarmedblackmannearFerguson,
Missouri,policesay

aroundIndiabytrain(stoppingincitiestomeetstartupsand

Reuters

leaders),askedGoonjtosupplyitwithconferencestylebagsthat
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12/24/2014

ThisCoupleinIndiaIsTurningDiscardedClothingIntoSomethingEveryWomanNeedsYahooNews

participantscoulduseonthetrip.
Withorderssuchasthese,Goonjisabletooffsetsomeofits
costs.Anannualbudgetof$600,000to$700,000coversits11
centersaroundthecountryandthe150employeesthatfuelthe
machine.Guptasayshedoesnttakegovernmentfundsor
proactivelyapplyforgrants.Rather,privatedonations,someas

ViolentprotestsbreakoutinsuburbanSt.
Louis
YahooNews

smallas30rupees(50cents),havemadeGoonjlast.
WhileGoonjmayhavegarneredinternationalattentionforits
sanitarynapkinsandupcycledgear,ithasotherprogramsaswell.
Forinstance,theClothforWorkinitiativepaysworkersinthe
villagesfortheirdayslabor(buildingwellsandroads,cleaning)
withcloth,notcash.Evenwomenarerewardedwithsanitary

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napkins,insteadofamonetarypayment,fortheirwork.Gupta

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saysthatthesentimentofexchangelivesuptohisideaofa
paralleleconomy.
Askedabouthisplanstoscaleupinupcomingyears,heanswers,
Wedontwanttogrowasanorganization.Wewanttogrowasan
idea,somethingthatisreplicatedandcopied.

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OriginalarticlefromTakePart

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