The echo of deprivation: How re-used clothes provide livelihood to many

Nearly two decades after it came into being, Goonj - a non-profit - has ensured that while repurposed cloth reaches people, it also provides livelihood to pockets of India largely ignored

One would assume that the life of a piece of clothing usually ends with a tiny rip, a worn-out tear or even mere boredom at its place in the wardrobe. In India, though, a robust culture of charity and giving allows pieces of clothing to last beyond their first owners. For the past nearly two decades, Goonj, a non-profit headquartered in New Delhi, has ensured that these cloth items are repurposed and reach people in the remotest parts of the country.

Founded by Anshu Gupta, a Ramon Magsaysay awardee and Ashoka fellow, in 1999, Goonj works on a simple model of