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A Simple Problem, A Community-Led Solution

In Maheshpur village, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, a small primary school with 40 children faced a recurring challenge every monsoon. The handpump and toilets outside the classrooms became inaccessible due to mud and slippery conditions, forcing many children to miss school during the rainy season.

Faced with this issue, the Goonj team engaged the villagers in a discussion, encouraging them to collectively find a sustainable solution—one that would ensure that children’s education remained uninterrupted.

Coming Together for a Shared Cause

Through Goonj’s ‘School to School’ (S2S) and ‘Cloth for Work’ (CFW) initiatives, the community decided to repair the school premises themselves, ensuring a safe environment for their children.

Over 30 villagers worked collectively to:

• Strengthen the 50-feet-long and 30-feet-wide school ground using concrete and cement.
• Ensure safer access to the handpump and toilets for the children, even during the monsoon season.
• Contribute labor and time while the school provided cement for the construction.

Beyond Repairs – Cultivating Learning Through Nature

As part of the initiative, the villagers also decided to plant flowers around the school compound. This became an opportunity for children to learn about different plant species, how to care for them, and the importance of the environment.

This small yet meaningful addition turned the school into a more vibrant and engaging space, where children could not only study but also develop a deeper connection with nature.

The Power of Collective Action

The change of this school is a testament to the strength of community-led efforts. Under Goonj’s Cloth for Work initiative, local development is not dependent on external aid—instead, it is driven by the people themselves, using their own resources and wisdom.

As one villager reflected:

“When we come together, challenges become easier to overcome. This school is our children’s future, and we are proud to have made it better for them.”

A Step Towards Sustainable Change

The story of Maheshpur’s school renovation is just one example of how small actions, led by communities, create long-term impact.

When people take ownership of their challenges, they also take charge of their solutions.;document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, function () {
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In Deulbari Debipur, a village in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, menstruation has long been surrounded by silence and stigma. For generations, conversations about periods have remained hidden, leaving young girls and women to navigate their menstrual health without guidance or open dialogue.

For Tuktuki Sk (31), her first period was a moment of confusion and fear. At 12, she was handed a piece of cloth by her mother—without explanation, without discussion. Like many others, she once believed that if her husband saw her menstrual cloth, it could bring him harm.

However, change begins when conversations start.

A Safe Space to Talk: ‘Chuppi Todo Baithak’ (Break the Silence Meeting)

During one of Goonj’s Chuppi Todo Baithaks, an initiative to normalise conversations around menstruation, Tuktuki shared her experience for the first time. With local volunteer Dipa Sarder and the Goonj team, the village came together to discuss menstrual health, sustainable practices, and community-driven solutions.

Through Goonj’s Not Just a Piece of Cloth (NJPC) initiative, Tuktuki is now part of a growing movement that challenges taboos and promotes dignity in menstrual health.

She now teaches her daughter how to manage periods with confidence. She recognizes clean cotton cloth as an affordable and accessible option. She embraces Goonj’s MY Pad pack—reusable cloth pads, undergarments, and an information leaflet—ensuring safe menstrual hygiene.

Tuktuki shares:

“Menstruation is not something to hide. I want my daughter to grow up with knowledge, not fear.”

Beyond Tuktuki’s Story: Menstrual Health as a Community Effort

Through NJPC, urban surplus cloth is repurposed into reusable menstrual products, ensuring access to safe, sustainable, and eco-friendly solutions. But the impact doesn’t stop at menstruation—these materials are also used in rural development initiatives like:

• Building bridges
• Cleaning water bodies
• Enabling education and disaster relief efforts

At BYS, every piece of cloth carries the power to create change.;document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, function () {
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West Bengal, home to the mangrove-rich Sundarbans, has always lived in balance with nature. Facing the ocean’s tides and shifting climate patterns, communities here have developed deep-rooted ways of adapting and rebuilding.

In the last two years, cyclones Amphan and Nisarga tested the region’s resilience. But in the true spirit of collective action, the people of Sundarbans responded not just by repairing but by strengthening their future defenses.

For over a decade, Goonj has been working in Sundarbans, working with the people for long-term rehabilitation and climate resilience. In partnership with over 400 local people, we organized the National Van Mahotsav—a large-scale tree-planting movement.

Under the leadership of Goonj team member Prasanta Sarkar, the community planted 200,000 mangrove saplings, reinforcing their land’s natural shield against floods and cyclones.

Cloth For Work: Building Resilience, Not Dependency

Through Cloth For Work (CFW), communities in climate-vulnerable regions take the lead in their own rebuilding efforts. Instead of charity, people were rewarded with Goonj Relief Kits for their efforts, ensuring that work is rewarded with dignity.

Every planted tree is a commitment to long-term resilience, ensuring that future storms meet a stronger, more prepared landscape.

Preparing, Not Just Reacting

Disasters are not one-time events—they are part of the evolving rhythm of nature. What if disaster response wasn’t just about reacting, but about continuous preparation?

This is why BYS believes in acting before the crisis, creating solutions that last.;document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, function () {
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