Page 29 - EW August 2023

EW SPOTLIGHT FEATURE
Plaeto partners with Goonj

t Plaeto, our mission is about creating innovative and
comfortable footwear for our children while taking a
Aresponsible stance towards the planet and its inhabitants.
This core belief led us to partner with the Goonj, embodying our
commitment to sustainability and social equity. Goonj founded in
1999 by Magsaysay award winner Mr. Anshu Gupta, is a multi-
award-winning social enterprise that works on poverty alleviation,
rural development, and disaster relief and rehab.
Our initiative ‘Soul to Sole’ demonstrates the power of
collective action towards a common goal - to bridge the gap
between urban privilege and rural necessities.
Through this initiative we are repurposing shoes that would
have otherwise been discarded or added to the landfill, providing
The amount we give back to the community isn’t
them with a second life in the hinterlands of our country. We the most important thing, it’s the love and care we
ensured each pair was refurbished and safely passed onto put into our giving that truly matters. At GEAR, we
children who needed them most, fostering an environment where actively seek out opportunities to assist those in
sustainability fuels social good. Through this initiative, nearly need within our community. Goonj has proven to
2500 pairs of unused shoes have already been donated by kids be an excellent platform for helping our children
Plaeto spotlight
across multiple schools in Bangalore city. understand the importance of sharing their gently
The real triumph, however, was the underlying impact - used belongings with others who may need them
creating a paradigm shift in our approach to consumption and more. Several of our children had the opportunity
waste. This initiative gave students a hands-on lesson about the to visit and volunteer at Goonj. In collaboration with
Plaeto, they participated in the Shoe Take-Back
value of recycling, compassion, and the difference their actions Drive initiative. They not only helped redirect used
can make.
shoes from urban areas of our country to rural
areas, thoughtfully providing them to people in need
but also encouraged all GEAR students to donate
their shoes -
Nandini Bhat, Principal,
GEAR Innovative Intl School Bangalore

While accessible technology to make drastic planet
impact is still getting developed, we cannot give up
on small steps to make an impact on the planet.
Our partnership with Goonj is a small step in this
direction
Ravi Kallayil, CEO - Plaeto
As they say, it takes a village to raise a child. Hence, the role
of schools, principals, administrators in enabling us as well as
kids and parents in helping collect the shoes is invaluable in
this achievement. It converted the institutions into change hubs,
underlining the importance of sustainability. More than that, it
helped students understand that their actions can have a direct
impact on our planet and its people.
Moving forward, our vision is to expand this drive to more
schools and cities, amplifying our impact. We understand that
building a sustainable future requires persistent effort and
collective action, and we are ready to take those steps.
The journey to sustainability begins with a single step. We are
proud to share that we have taken over two thousand already.

EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2023
AUGUST 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 29