A Mission Fueled by Recycling and Renewal
OVERVIEW
Goonj, a pioneering Indian non-profit, is known for transforming urban waste into life-changing resources for rural communities. With its mission to tackle deep-rooted challenges like rural development, sanitation, and disaster relief, Goonj has created a sustainable model that bridges the urban-rural divide, empowering millions across 22 states in India. For over 20 years, Goonj’s innovative approach has turned discarded materials into valuable resources that fuel dignity-driven community initiatives. However, like many rapidly growing organizations, Goonj faced a significant challenge: effectively communicating its message to a global audience. That’s where my ongoing collaboration with them began.
UNDERSTANDING GOONJ’S COMPLEX MODEL
Over the course of multiple trips to India, I spent time immersing myself in Goonj’s operations across various locations, including Delhi, Rishikesh, Odisha, Kerala, and Rajasthan. I quickly learned that Goonj’s work was as complex as it was impactful. Whether it was their urban recycling centers, where discarded cloth and materials were processed by hundreds of women, or the vast rural development initiatives powered by these recycled resources, Goonj’s model proved to be nothing short of revolutionary.
NEW RELATIONSHIPS
I was first introduced to Goonj in 2016 through the Resource Alliance while working on a series of films across Asia for the International Fundraising Congress (IFC) in Bangkok. It was there that I met Anshu Gupta, Goonj’s founder, along with Kyla Sawyer and Bill Toliver, who were both passionate advocates for Goonj. Anshu’s powerful storytelling and the innovative work of Goonj immediately struck me. A few months later, I traveled to Delhi, beginning what has now evolved into a six-year partnership.
DOCUMENTING CHANGE
My role over these six years has been to help Goonj do something they had struggled with for decades: tell their story to the world. With millions of people benefiting from their programs across India, Goonj was always laser-focused on immediate community needs, often leaving their communication efforts on the back burner. Yet, effective storytelling was crucial to secure public and private support, not only from within India but also from international donors, businesses, and foundations.
I produced a film documenting Goonj’s initiatives in both urban and rural areas. Through photography, I captured the essence of the communities at the heart of the organization and the community-led activities transforming lives across India. From villagers constructing roads through dense jungles in Odisha to connect isolated communities, to groups uniting to clean lakes, replant mangroves, and build bamboo bridges for safe school access, every project is driven by empowered locals.
BRAND
In addition to the visual storytelling, I developed a set of brand guidelines to ensure consistency across their communications, trained their staff to follow these guidelines, and even built the website for the Goonj Foundation, which serves as their US-based platform to engage the Indian diaspora in raising awareness and support for their work.
THE PANDEMIC AND THE BIRTH OF A NEW PROGRAM
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Goonj, like many organizations, found itself in crisis mode, providing emergency relief to rural communities that were hardest hit by the pandemic, monsoons, floods, and even earthquakes. At the request of Anshu and his wife Meenakshi, I developed a creative program to support the mental health of their staff, who were serving as frontline workers during the pandemic. This initiative evolved into a two-year long virtual storytelling mentorship program, where over 50 staff members joined weekly sessions.
These sessions focused on teaching the art of storytelling, photography, and communication in a way that respected the dignity of those they served. The frontline workers, many of whom were delivering aid in extremely challenging conditions, shared their stories and experiences, evolving their writing skills and their ability to capture the human spirit in their photographs. Over time, the program became not just a creative outlet but a vital tool in documenting Goonj’s emergency relief work, and the stories of the communities they were reaching.
Images produced by the pandemic storytelling group
CONCLUSION
Working with Goonj has been an inspiring and transformative journey, both personally and professionally. Over six years, we have built a body of work that not only tells the story of Goonj’s impact but also honors the dignity of the communities they serve. In a world where discarded materials can be transformed into tools for change, Goonj stands as a beacon of hope, and I am proud to be part of that story. Through the power of storytelling, Goonj can now continue to communicate its vital mission and connect with supporters around the globe, ensuring that their message of dignity and resourcefulness resonates far beyond India’s borders.
IMPACT
The impact of this collaboration goes beyond just films and photographs. Together, we have transformed the way Goonj communicates its mission to the world. The visual content created has been used in presentations, on social media, in donor meetings, and across various platforms to raise awareness, engage supporters, and secure vital funding for their initiatives. The storytelling mentorship program has empowered their frontline workers to become the storytellers, ensuring that Goonj can continue to document and share its journey for years to come.
