School to School

Our recent nationwide initiative

GOONJ Offices & Collection Centres

GOONJ..

J- 93 Sarita Vihar,
New Delhi - 110076.
Tel. - 2697 2351, 4140-1216
E- Mail :- anshugoonj24@gmail.com

Progressing well A Report on Spread and Impact - January 2006

S2S, an internationally recognized programme today, was formally launched in 2004. Ever since, a number of schools in Delhi and NCR have been a part of the initiative, motivating students to contribute their old/new stationary, notebooks, school bags, water bottles, lunch boxes, uniforms, shoes, toys, story books, art material etc. With consistent efforts and motivation more schools are showing interest in becoming partners in this unique initiative. In October and December 2005, two appeals sent out by GOONJ, to many schools in Delhi and NCR, received an overwhelming response motivating us to share (with a larger audience) case-studies and interesting stories of how and what the schools collected, for furthering 'SCHOOL to SCHOOL'

In October' 05, some days before Diwali, we sent 2000 posters to schools, asking students what they would gain out of bursting crackers on Diwali ? Our appeal was that instead of buying crackers they could channelise the money to buy schooling essentials for rural children, for a joyous Diwali for their not so fortunate counterparts.

Responding to this -

Rosary Senior Secondary School set an impeccable example by collecting a large sum of cash from its students and buying study material (new notebooks and alphabet books for children) from that money to contribute to GOONJ. These students expressed by example, how curtailment of a non-essential expense, can help us make a big difference in someone’s life without financially pinching us.
Similarly, Queen Mary’s Girl’s Senior Secondary School also contributed a large amount of school stationary, collected by its students

In December, 2005, some days after the devastating Kashmir earthquake, we sent an appeal for school material for re-running of completely damaged schools in Kashmir. We tried to sensitise Delhi students to the harsh conditions faced by the Kashmiri children. This generated a massive response among many schools in Delhi and NCR that weren't even associated with GOONJ earlier, but after this campaign have become 'SCHOOL to SCHOOL' partners.

Somerville School, Vasundhara Enclave collected 38 cartons of ration, clothes and school material. The three items were collected class-wise – each class was asked to collect a small quantity of a specific item, whereby each child brought a very small quantity of that specific item. The collective effort led to a large quantity of material. This easily replicable idea is a real life demonstration of how each drop in the ocean counts!
Bal Bharati Public School, NOIDA collected a huge quantity of school bags, notebooks & pencils. Each bag had attached with it, a notebook and two pencils! It is interesting how each child gave exactly two pencils with a notebook and a bag, which is exactly what our appeal stated as an example of what they could give! What is commendable is that each item contributed was completely new!
Delhi Public School, Rohini collected an enormous amount of old school bags, each carrying a few newspapers, a new notebook and a new pencil! Although asked specifically for school bags, not having a school bag to give did not stop some of the children to give the other material they could, thus, a large amount of new notebooks and old newspapers were also collected.
Delhi Public School, NOIDA responded to the appeal by collecting vast quantities of used, but good quality woolens. We were told that each and every child contributed whatever little s/he could to add to our efforts! It is this spirit that we like to encourage in students – to give whatever you can, without worrying how little or much it is…
Apeejay School, Pitam Pura contributed 9 cartons of assorted school material, ranging from stationary to clothes.

Apart from Queen Mary's Senior Secondary School, DPS (NOIDA), DPS (Rohini) and Somerville School (Vasundhara Enclave), the other Schools that have recently come under the fold of 'SCHOOL to SCHOOL' are -

Somerville School, Daryaganj – contributed 2 cartons of school material.
Jaspal Kaur Public School – contributed 7 bags of old clothes.
Mary Public School – came up with the innovative idea of contributing a tempo load of good quality children’s furniture.
Red Roses Public School, Saket – contributed 1 ½ van loads of old clothes.
Bhatnagar International School, Vasant Kunj – contributed assorted material for children.
Abacus Academy (play school) – contributed some old clothes.

Regular donors of ‘SCHOOL to SCHOOL’ include –

DAV, Faridabad - contributes assorted school material, clothes, toys and newspaper.
DLF Public School – contributes newspaper. This large and regular collection is the result of successful implementation of ‘Newspaper Day (NPD)’ – a concept we have been trying to promote in schools, whereby one day in a month is set aside for students to bring at least 5 old newspapers for GOONJ.. (or as many as they can), which we sell to raise funds. DLF is the first to execute the NPD idea flawlessly with tempo loads of newspaper sent to us on a regular basis! They have implemented another interesting idea – ‘Birthday Donation’ – whereby each child, on her/his birthday brings a small school item for ‘SCHOOL to SCHOOL’, knowing that on her/his birthday, s/he can gift something to someone who will really treasure it!
Sanskriti School – despite being associated with many other organisations, contributes whatever it can, which are usually clothes. Other contributing schools like DPS (Rohini) or the Somerville Schools also associated with many organisations today, set a precedent on how and what they contribute to GOONJ.., even after supporting other organisations, without burdening the students.
Mirambika – despite having a small strength of just 130 students, contributes assorted school material, toys and clothes regularly.
Mira Model School – contributes nearly all schooling essentials every year at the end of a session in April, when most students buy new school material for the next academic year and give away their old material to GOONJ..
Modern School, Vasant Vihar – facilitates a collection drive for GOONJ.. every year during its Green Fair, and allots us a space for a stall.

It is heartening to know how some of these schools have actually allotted a separate room only for storing the material they collect for GOONJ..! Those who cannot do so, are storing the material in their own offices! Efforts like these are extremely encouraging for us to spread our activities with greater vigour. More importantly, they are the biggest incentive for rural and slum children to continue their education, when so many people are investing in it out of genuine concern!

The impact is evident in the students in many village and slum schools in different parts of India, benefiting greatly from these contributions. About 500 students in Kuthambakam (Tamil Nadu) now wear uniforms and shoes, carry school bags instead of polythenes, have notebooks, stationery, and toys. In Nagni (Uttaranchal) in two schools almost all children now have sweaters or coats for winters. Students have mats to sit on, made of unusable cloth by GOONJ..; they have notebooks and stationary as well. In Shikohabad (U.P.) not only have existing schools been given this material, but new schools and Activity Centres are being opened solely on the basis of this material. This is a town where child labour in glass industries is rampant. The only time children get to live out their childhood is the 3-4 hours they spend in school. If we can make sustained efforts to provide these students with schooling essentials, then maybe we can be the agent of change they are longing for.

GOONJ.. would like to express its acknowledgment and thankfulness to all the schools and individuals involved for their contributions and ongoing support!

FOR JOINING / OCCASIONAL SUPPORT to ‘SCHOOL to SCHOOL’

Apeejay School - Sheikh Sarai, Aravali Public School – Faridabad, Bal Bharti Public School - Rajinder Nagar & Brij Vihar, Blue Bells Sr. Sec. School - East of Kailash, Chiranjeev Public School – Gurgaon, Delhi Police Public School - Safadarjung Enclave, D.A.V Sr. Sec. School - Vikas puri, D.A.V. Public School - Vasant Kunj & Dwarka, Happy School – Daryaganj, Maharaja Aggrasain Public School - Ashok Vihar, North Delhi Public School - Shalimar Bagh, Tagore International School - East of Kailash, Indraprastha International School - Dwarka, Khaitan Public School – NOIDA, Modern School - Barakhamba Road, MVN Public School – Faridabad, Palwan School - Gurgaon, Ryan International School – Faridabad, Somerville School - Greater NOIDA

For giving us space for School interface event- (to be held in April 2006)-
St. Mary’s Sr. Sec. Public School - Safadarjung Enclave

For initiating the programme in Chennai -
D.A.V Public School – Gopalapuram

FOR 'RAHAT-TSUNAMI' ( Year 2004-05)

Ascent International School - NOIDA, Springdales Public School - Pusa Road, St. Marks’ Sr. Sec. School - Meera Bagh ( & all four branches, contributed large quantities of relief material for Tsunami Victims).

FOR RAHAT-FLOODS ( Year 2004)

To support flood victims of devastating floods in Assam, Bihar & West Bengal and for funding our initiative RAHAT-FLOODS - Shri Ram School - DLF (Gurgaon), Vasant Vihar, & Aravali (Gurgaon)

DURING GUJARAT RIOTS ( Year 2002)

For motivating children to support their counterparts who suffered in these riots - D.A.V Sr. Sec. School - Vikas puri, New Delhi Public School - Vikas puri, S.S. Mission Public School - Vikas Puri

For providing us space for sorting and packing the relief material -
Modern School - Barakhamba Road

How can YOU be a part of this.?

By regularly contributing schooling essentials like stationary, notebooks, toys, story books, uniforms, shoes, bags, water bottles, lunchboxes etc. for our initiative to be sustainable.
By giving us your one-side-used-paper, which we make notebooks from for the use rural/slum students.
By motivating your friends to do the same.
By following the lead the above mentioned schools have taken in various ways.
By approaching more schools to come join our initiative…

STEPS FOR ORGANISING A SCHOOL-TO-SCHOOL CAMPAIGN