Want to share a story..Chronicle of a Man…how he got stirred to
do a work which can keep us grounded..Very grounded...
This is a story of Anshu Gupta and GOONJ...
A journalist by profession Anshu, while in search of a story in
Old Delhi came across a Man named Habib...who was riding a vehicle (a cart like
rickshaw)..And there was something written on that.."Delhi police ke liye
Lash uthane wala"...so Anshu got his story and decided to be a shadow to
this man for a week, see his lifestyle..his habits..How he collected unclaimed
dead bodies from the footpaths of busy Delhi roads....during that week he also
got a chance to meet Habib's family.
Yes, no reward for getting it right….this family could not
afford even the basic necessities of life...Habib's wife was blind….he had a 5
year old daughter...once during Anshu's interaction with family he asked
Habib's daughter about his father's work and dead bodies at home(as in Delhi winters
the count used to increase and many a times bodies are kept at Habib’s place) ..The
Innocent eyes looked at him as her mouth opened for a reply….. She mentioned
nonchalantly during cold weather these dead bodies give me warmth….I sleep
cuddling them and can sleep peacefully because these bodies do not turn and
twist…
Anshu got his inspiration….and hence in 1998 he started
GOONJ-NGO
We @PlugHR are fortunate enough to work with your NGO Anshu...as i moved
around looking at the processes and systems, creativity and innovation with all
the scraps, discarded material....old jeans, cassette tapes getting transformed
into Smart Handbags...sarees and duppattas into skipping rope...Car seat covers
into laptop bags...small cotton clothes into sanitary Napkins...and what
not...tears rolling down my cheeks as i am reminded about how we waste our
lives, products, food and there are people in the same world..Same country so
under privileged using the same TRANSFORMED WASTE/DISCARDED MATERIAL WHiCH
BRINGs HAPPINESS, COMFORT, and COVER….
And nothing is free for these under privileged villagers, they
do not get anything free….a person has to work yes a true work like making a
well in a village, sanitation of their villages, sending kids to school and
with due respect to their self-esteem..In a dignified manner they are given
these transformed materials in barter of all the work.... The philosophy is
simple-Give! In a dignified manner..
Hats Off!! Thank you for giving back to society- Anshu and the
entire team at Goonj....
Yes I'm grounded, brought down to the earth....with a promise
humming in my mind and heart...:) :)
