Goonj's Work in Uttarakhand (2nd Report)

1. Dignifying relief: Report on 2nd Phase in Uttarakhand

2. Change started with committed involvement of local communities
Instead of asking people to queue up to receive relief .. Goonj held intensive community meetings in
villages to identify gaps & needs. We also tried to understand the strength of the communities, to create
space for local wisdom

3. Dignifying relief through ‘Cloth for work'
Goonj believes in providing material with dignity. Cloth for Work motivated people to take up infrastructure
works as per local needs. Over 70 development activities ranging from road cleaning/repair, water tank/
drainage cleaning, bridge making etc. took place where the relief material became a resource for development.

4. Some glimpses of ‘Cloth for Work’ activities
Developing a bridge (at Village Naugaon, Sangamchatti, Uttarkashi)

5. Women played a crucial role in many CFW activities
Cleaning up bushes and making the pathway for a safe walk..
(Village Gairi, Uttarkashi)

6. A self-made bridge with a lot of efforts !!
Instead of the risky wooden trolley they had to cross..
30 ft * 3.5 ft bridge at a
height of 6 ft above the
30 ft * 3.5 ft bridge at a
height of 6 ft above the
water at
water at
Village Seku, Bhatwari Block
Village Seku, Bhatwari Block

7. Making a kaccha road/path for better connectivity to remote villages
(Village Sangrali, Uttarkashi)

8. Making and mending the roads to bring life back on track
(at Village Naugaon, Sangamchatti, Uttarkashi)

9. Women took the lead in cleaning up community spaces

10. The local villagers decided to make a boundary wall for safer passage
(at Village Seinj, Uttarkashi)

11. With brooms in hand women got together
to clean the Community drainage system (at Village Gajoli, Uttarkashi)

12. Goonj continues its focus on addressing basic needs/gap areas
and reaching remote areas

13. Goonj is still sending truck loads of woolens, blankets & other material
as per local needs..

14. A basic need; Winter kit for families
Goonj Winter Kit includes 2 to 4 blankets, mats, general & woolen clothes for entire family and now a
18’x12’ good quality tarpaulin also.

15. So far Goonj Winter Kits have reached
over 10,000 families across Uttarakhand…

16. By all possible means..

17. Education; addressing a gap area
A Goonj’s ‘School Kit’ (made out of waste material) has a school bag, pencil pouch, bottle bag and a mat to sit
apart from stationary and biscuits etc. These have been reached to over 400 kids of some
schools/Aanganwadies. This year, we want to reach school kits in over 300 schools once winters are over.

18. We are ready for the school
Shoes, Sweaters, Books and other educational material in Anganwadi & Schools

20. Supporting/ Initiating Computer Centres
Curious kids trying their hand at new technology and exploring new ways of learning..

21. Goonj supports Tuition Centers for better quality of learning ..
Most parents in Uttarakhand take education as priority but most government schools are in bad conditions
while private schools are trying to fill the gaps.. Goonj is taking care of teacher’s salary in tuition centers at
Sangrali, Sanglai, Hurri & Bhangeli…

22. Gap area; Livelihood and income generation for the locals
We are exploring and involving women in spices and sweater making

23. Building up some basic amenities for people
A toilet at Adi Shankaracharya School, Uttroan

24. ‘Pandal’- Goonj’s initiative for providing tent house sets for Community use
Availability of material for any special occasion in remote villages is a problem. People travel to towns to get
the same on high costs. Under Goonj’s ‘Pandal’ initiative we are trying to fill this crucial gap by handing
over a set of buckets & jugs, utensils for 100 people, blankets, mats, tarpaulins etc. to the community.

25. Breaking the Silence: Goonj addresses a basic need for women
We are creating awareness on menstrual hygiene in schools & rural communities.
Goonj’s ‘MY- Pad’ sanitary pads are being accepted wholeheartedly by women…

26. Addressing gaps in the local health system
through medicines, first aid kits in schools and health camps

27. Last 6 months in Uttarakhand - in a nutshell
 Focus on neglected and far away places.
 Instead of uniform distribution, identifying needs after proper surveys and reaching out
support accordingly.
 The first phase: Focus - on dry ration, medicines, water, blankets, basic school material,
sanitary pads and on restarting schools.
 Second phase; Focus - winter kits, cloth for work community activities, support for
teachers and medical interventions apart from initiatives for larger community like Pandals,
Stitching Centers etc.
 Third phase (to start from March 2014): Focus - infrastructure development, schools,
medical interventions , community spaces, repairing of structures etc
 Cloth for work leading the way: Relief not as charity but as resource- Over 70 activities
undertaken where people worked on repairing/making bridges, roads, community spaces
cleanliness drives.
 Reached over 300 villages.
 Dealt with over 100 trucks of material.
 Apart from a hub in Rishikesh two main offices in Guptkashi and Uttarkashi to make sure
that even in the worst weather the work goes on..
 A strong team of 50 full/part-time people in the field.
 Wide spread work with partner organizations, small grass roots organizations and our own
team.

28.  Over 5200 Ration Kits of 30 kg each - with rice, pulses, oil, tea leaf etc.
 Over 10,000 winter kits . A kit includes- 2 to 4 blankets, mats, general & woolen clothes
for entire family and now a 18’x12’ good quality tarpaulin also.
 We give cloth mats instead of buying plastic mats. This sturdy chindi dari as its called, is
not only viable and an optimum use of waste cloth but also creates large scale employment
in the villages.
 Over 1500 utensil kits – each includes- 3 patile, tawa-1, karchhi-1, knife-1, glass-4.
 Livelihood initiatives- Taking multiple approaches, extensive work planned once winters
are over.
a. Stitching centres in Ganeshpur & Hurri
b. Sweater making in Ganeshpur, Hurri, Tihar
c. Spices Making
 Computer Centres- started in Sanglai, Hurry. Goonj has provided 5 computers at each
centre.
 Support for 25 marriages- with a kit of 100 kg of basic ration and other essentials.
 Water purifiers in 55 schools and Aaganwadies.
 Goonj’s ‘Pandal’; tent house Kits are provided in 11 villages-Agoda, Dasda, Dandalka,
Chiwa, Sangrali, Ganeshpur, Jakhol, Sangrsli, Kujjan, Sunagar - (Uttarkashi) & Maikhanda
(Guptkashi).

29. For the detailed report of initial Phase, please refer http
://goonj.org/Uttrakhand13/GOONJ_UK_Report13.pdf
GOONJ (H.O.)- J-93, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi- 110076
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