Future Leaders Impact Booklet 2023

Aboat Time is an initiative started by Renee George, a 15 year old student from Bangalore, India who is passionate about activism for climate change and loves wildlife and nature. Aboat Time aims to help rejuvenate the dying lakes of Bangalore and ensure that environmental data remains openly accessible to the public. Renee has managed to raise over one lakh rupees towards the cause of reviving lakes in Bangalore, and also organized a cleanup drive with over 70 volunteers to plog dry waste from around the lake. She conducted research on Doddanekundi Lake correlating the number of bird species at a lake to its water quality, which she presented at the Iris National Science Fair in New Delhi. She then implemented the findings of this research by developing a mobile app which eliminates the need for expensive water testing equipment thus revolutionizing the way we look at data collection for lakes in Bangalore. The app was recognised as the Asia Regional Winner in the global Technovation challenge, 2023.

Project E4E was founded to support underprivileged children aged 10-15 who lacked adequate resources and funding for Quality Education. Ashmita's dedication to advancing SDG-4 (Quality Education) was ignited by her encounter with Suma, a 14-year-old resident of an orphanage. Suma's desire to learn was hindered by a lack of fundamental concepts and financial means to continue her education. In response, Ashmita raised Rs. 3,50,000 to support the education of 33 underprivileged children across 3 states in India. E4E has made a significant impact, benefiting 3,200 students through educational and mentoring sessions, the establishment of 2 libraries, and the distribution of the Edufication Toolkit, an NCERT curriculum-based resource that operates independently of internet connectivity.

Niharika initiated Project Tribali with the primary objective of advocating for the tribal communities in their struggle for equality. Project Tribali focuses on raising awareness about the issues tribal communities face and in aiding in the preservation of tribal culture and heritage, all without compromising their fundamental rights. The approach she has taken for Project Tribali comprises three components: basic rights, income generation, and cultural preservation. Under basic rights, she held Ayurvedic health camps, Government identification sign-up sessions, DIY solar cooker sessions, and helped set up tribal colleges for tailoring skills and computer science education. For income, she helped raise $500 through sales of tribal handicrafts and crowdfunding. Under cultural preservation, Niharika has been documenting the diverse cultures and traditions of the tribal settlements she has visited to preserve them and raise awareness about their inherent beauty. To date, her efforts have directly impacted over 1,000 families and indirectly reached approximately 3,500 families, spanning across various regions of India, with a particular focus on the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka.

Rishav launched Project Raitha with an aim to help marginalized farmers in Rural Karnataka by introducing them to sustainable technology and modern methods. The goal was to reorient the thinking of these farmers and help them by conducting awareness sessions on Soil Health and Testing. He has provided free soil tests to over 30 farmers, distributed over 50 seedlings of different crops and has set up networks for farmers to use IoT sensors and has raised over INR 85,000 which he is using to expand the efforts and scale it up.

Project Swachh Sansaar was created to tackle the problem of plastic pollution and reduce the overwhelming burden of plastic waste on our planet. Esha was inspired to fight this due to the death of a childhood pet dog due to plastic suffocation. Through awareness and promotion of plastic-free products, Project Swachh Sansaar has been able to reach out to 5 apartment complexes, 4 hotel chains, 2 underprivileged schools, The Indian Institute of Science and ISKCON in Bangalore as well as many more individuals. Through these sessions, the project has successfully reduced the usage of over 50 different plastic products amongst 2000+ people and various institutions.

Sonal founded Project Sankalpa due to her passion for education. She wanted to leverage India’s anganwadi network and strengthen the right to education for underprivileged children in the age group of 3-6 years in rural areas with a special focus on girl child education. The pilot program created a smart anganwadi with improved infrastructure, wifi and tools to make learning more fun for kids. This smart anganwadi can be replicated and scaled to all other anganwadis in Karnataka and across the country. Further, Project Sankalpa developed an ecosystem and a platform which attempts to bring together different stakeholders to build a successful anganwadi education model.

Project Surya is a youth-driven non-profit started to help underprivileged type one diabetic (T1D) children through a three-pronged action plan of awareness, advocacy and funding. Divaa was inspired to start this project when her younger brother, Surya, was diagnosed with T1D. As she saw the adjustments that he needed to make to his lifestyle and the expenses involved in regular insulin injections and glucose testing, she wondered how underprivileged children could cope with the same. Project Surya's awareness sessions, taught in English or Kannada, have reached more than 16,000 people including T1D patients and their parents, Asha Workers in rural Bangalore, along with students in Bangalore and Delhi plus Rotarians, Women’s organizations, and participants in a Midnight Walkathon in Malleshwaram in December 2022. She has raised Rs. 7,00,000 ($8,400) for insulin injections, glucose monitors and testing strips, along with 500 insulin syringes which have all been donated to organizations and hospitals which support underprivileged diabetic children. As a 2023 winner of the prestigious Diana Award, Divaa has been recognized globally and locally for her work on behalf of type one diabetics.

Project Transform was born to transform the lives of the transgender community living in Bangalore by providing the necessary resources and ensuring a better quality of life. Shloka was aghast at how badly this community was treated and decided to do something about herself. Having conducted awareness sessions and realizing that the health of the trans community was a very serious issue, Project Transform has conducted 2 health camps and advocated the importance of good health and regular checkups. Project Transform is currently working with a Member of the Karnataka State Legislative Assembly to get public transgender bathrooms and working towards providing health insurance for the transgender community. A documentary is also in the works dedicated to the unheard stories of the community. Via the awareness sessions and health camps, 100+ people have been directly impacted.

Project Pink is an initiative aiming to fight against street harassment in India through the use of bystander intervention. With interactive sessions and real-life examples, we train high school and college students in the 5D’s, a proven methodology to safely intervene in situations of harassment in public places. We’ve conducted sessions with over 300 students in both high schools and colleges. Additionally, we reached out to over 100 people through awareness campaigns. We also hosted a human library event to let survivors share their stories and sensitize people.

The Mowgli Movement is a passion project rooted in my love for wildlife safaris, inspired by cherished experiences with my father. Drawing from the enchanting tales of the "Jungle Book," the initiative is dedicated to uplifting tribal communities in Karnataka's forests. With a commitment to positive change, we've raised 1.15 lakhs, conducting impactful sessions in government schools, reaching over 500 participants. Addressing practical needs, we've distributed solar lamps, promoting both improved living conditions and eco-friendly solutions. Our online awareness sessions, featuring WWF officials, and collaborations with the head of Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) at Kabini, strive to harmonize conservation and responsible tourism. As we navigate this journey, my personal connection to nature remains the guiding force, steering the Mowgli Movement towards a future where tribal communities and their forested homes thrive in harmony. This isn't just a project; it's a heartfelt commitment to preserving landscapes that have shaped my narrative and contributing to a legacy of coexistence and sustainability.

Project Annam is an initiative I started as part of the 1M1B program. Aligned with SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, Project Annam aims to improve accessibility to safe and hygienic food in semi urban/rural areas in and around Bangalore. With three doctors, we conducted health checkups on the children in these orphanages to identify common problem areas and advised the orphanage director on how to address these issues. With the support of the community, we have raised 1.5 lakhs and provided food for over 100 children for 2 months. Following that, I connected the orphanages to an NGO called Ramanamani Foundation to ensure that the children continue to have access to safe and healthy food.

Isabel launched Project Selfless.Network, which aims to create awareness of sustainable fashion among youngsters in Bangalore. She has developed a platform that helps teenagers learn and practice reusing and refusing products of fast fashion. Additionally, she created a website that connects privileged youth with bustling closets to underprivileged children in need of clothes. So far, over 500 underprivileged children have been impacted thanks to these efforts, and around 15 kgs of clothes have been donated. She is currently advocating for her own idea—a unified sustainability tag. This tag contains information regarding the materials used, production methodologies, sourcing, and a color-coded rating. She has garnered around 2400 supporters for this initiative and is actively reaching out to ministers.

Project Theia is a non-profit organization that strives to make clean drinking water accessible. Given today’s water crisis, we seized this opportunity to make a bigger impact. We are currently installing a reverse osmosis water filter at Doddamavatur in Kunigal Tumkur district, impacting over 4500 people in Doddamavatur and 10 surrounding villages. Since the filter is on the main road, any passing vehicles will also use it, contributing to the greater public. We received 5 lakh funding from the government and work closely with government officials. We started source funding or crowdfunding and have already raised 25 thousand rupees. We have also held numerous sessions at Holy Angel High School and Oxford High English Public School. We spoke at the Rotary and JP Nagar Club, advocating for our project. We spoke to a class of 9th graders at NAFL, teaching them about India’s current situation and how they can make an impact. We have received recognition from Ms. Apoorva Rai, who is Ms. South Asia Pacific 2022. We envision a world with free, pure, safe drinking water access for all rural communities in India.

Saina is the founder of Project Kamakhya, an initiative which aims to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene and options for sustainable menstruation. Saina first became aware of the need for such action after meeting a girl her own age who was using an old rag during her menstrual cycle each month, regularly running the risk of infection yet unaware of these risks. Additionally, the topic of sustainability is a big driver for Saina as well. Saina has conducted awareness sessions and sustainable pad distribution drives impacting more than 1,200 women and girls. She has held webinars and activities in schools to reach younger girls who have only recently begun their menstrual cycles. Project Kamakhya has partnered with the Juvenile Justice Board of India and the Honda CSR team to bring her program to underprivileged women and girls in villages around Delhi. Saina has raised Rs. 45,000 through crowdfunding which has been used to fund the 1,500+ sustainable pads that she has distributed. She is also planning to invest in pad incinerators which can be installed in schools. As the Runner-Up for the ARC Foundation’s Student award for Global Sustainability - SDG 5: Gender Equality, Saina is recognized globally and locally as a young leader making a difference.

Project Oxigendo aims to partner with school and small scale industries to take the bold step towards reducing their carbon emissions. "Project Oxigenado," meaning "oxygenated" in Spanish, is born from a moment of grief. Samudrika founded the project out of a deep desire to mend the wrongs inflicted on our planet after witnessing the felling of several 50-80 year-old huge trees near her school. Through awareness sessions and social media platforms, Project Oxigenado has educated more than 800 people. The project has also collaborated with 4 schools and 7 small scale industries through which 240+ trees were planted and distributed. They’ve also started saving more than 6,000 liters of water daily in two schools through aerators installed in partnership with Earthfokus, a company specializing in aerators. Most interestingly, they are working on a product named ‘Liquid Plant’ in collaboration with scientists from Bangalore, which is electricity-free, cost-effective, and 30 times more efficient in reducing carbon emissions. The Deputy CM of Karnataka, Mr. DK Shivakumar has expressed the government's willingness to advance their product. This is a testament to the remarkable work that Project Oxigenado is doing to create greener, and cleaner cities for future generations.

Project EcoThreads was founded with a dual purpose: to reduce textile waste and provide income-generating opportunities for underprivileged women. Deepthi's determination to address this issue was sparked by her observation of substantial piles of discarded clothes near her community. In collaboration with the NGO Vidyaranya and the thrift store Ecodhaga, Project EcoThreads has employed seven underprivileged women who upcycled 250 kilograms of textile waste into cloth bags. Through crowdfunding, the project raised $400 USD to provide the women with adequate training and sewing machines.

HearCARE aims to address and raise awareness of the critical need for early intervention and detection of hearing disabilities to prevent discrimination and improve the lives of children. Rachit was inspired to start this project when he visited an orphanage and encountered an orphan who had been abandoned because of his hearing disability. HearCARE conducted awareness sessions, and hearing camps and distributed pamphlets and posters at maternity and pediatric hospitals. HearCARE raised awareness among 600 people and indirectly impacted 3300 people. Rachit spoke on the All India Radio about the importance of early intervention in hearing disabilities reaching out to millions of people of rural India. HearCARE successfully tested the hearing of 150 children and was able to identify 5 children who required rehabilitation for their hearing. HearCARE has raised funds of 1200 dollars for these children’s hearing aids and in addition, also has raised funds to donate hearing aids to 3 other children at an orphanage cum NGO. HearCARE aims to conduct mobile hearing camps to reach the people of rural Telangana.

Project Asar is an initiative to create awareness about the ill effects of fast fashion and to promote upcycling and recycling of cloth wastes in our society. After witnessing the poor lifestyle of families living in tents on the footpath, under flyovers and in isolated areas, barely having any access to good clothing- for themselves and their children- Ayura was motivated to find ways to help them . Through this project Ayura is building a bridge, connecting donors to various NGOS that not only provide basic clothing to the less privileged in the cities, but also facilitate improved livelihood to many families in the rural villages through their upcycling and recycling programs. After several campaigns and collection drives at school, three residential complexes, and a corporate office, Project Asar has been able to collect more than 350 kgs of clothes, which were successfully handed over to Goonj and India 360 (NGOs). Through the offline and online campaigns, Ayura was able to influence 800+ people so far, and is still counting.

Save Little Hearts is an initiative started by Krish Jauhri and Ohanna.C.L from Bangalore. The project aims towards creating awareness on child sexual abuse by educating underprivileged children on safe, unsafe touch and response systems. They have conducted several awareness sessions to educate overall 120 children in government schools and slums, spoken to helpers and cleaners in collaboration with Rotary Club and the NGO Shifting Orbits. They have also arranged for a psychologist on a regular basis to visit the children and reiterate safety guidelines for prevention and early response. Soon, Save Little Hearts will have its own animated book ‘Safety with SuperMaya' that will be distributed to schools and libraries. In the future, they aim to expand the project and impact many more children to make this world a safer place.

"At Project Prosperity, led by Shivank Jaiswal, our mission is to empower the Marsur community, bridging the unemployment gap through education and sustainable job opportunities. Our impactful workshops and collaborative efforts have transformed lives, fostering economic growth and breaking the cycle of poverty. Prioritizing advertising skills and fostering direct business connections, we've seen tangible positive outcomes. Our future plans involve strategic partnerships and further support for women entrepreneurs. Committed to creating a brighter, equitable future, Project Prosperity thrives on making lasting impacts in underprivileged areas, one workshop at a time."

Project Eklavya is an initiative that aims to support underprivileged students and help them get access to the tools they need to excel in their education. We strongly support inclusive education for all. Through collaborations with the Robin Hood Army and Raised Lines Foundation, we were able to introduce tactile books to 37 students studying at Surabhi Blind School in Vadodara, creating a newfound interest in learning for the students studying there. We have also set up seven mini libraries in various low income schools with academic and story books to make the students confident learners. Apart from this, we have been able to raise over 1300 USD through online and offline campaigns, which has given hope to hundreds of children. Our impact has even been captured by Sandesh News, a well-recognized contributor to print media. Even individuals like Bharat Dangar (ex-mayor of Vadodara and current BJP President) have shown support for Project Eklavya. In the future, we also plan to continue spreading awareness and supporting this cause.

The Kana Project is an initiative started by Navya Ramchander to improve digital literacy in rural India by teaching young children aged 11-17 how to use Canva. She initiated the project to channel her creativity and passion for computer science into helping people. Navya has partnered with three non-profit organizations—Vishovdaya Trust, Seva Bharati Computational Center, and Turning Point—to teach children how to create and use email, as well as how to develop educational presentations, videos, newsletters, etc. She also conducted a virtual session in one of the schools about the uses of Canva, featuring the VP of Digital Marketing at Indium Software. The project will be taking the next step through the virtual program ‘Train the Trainers’ with the pan-India organization Playquity to teach Canva skills to young women across India, who will then become the teachers of their peers.

Jishnu founded Project Shikshayathi due to his passion for education and the awareness that not all children had the same level of access to quality education as he does. After realizing the high number of students who are withdrawn from school at ages 3-6 years, he realized that this was where he wanted to focus his attention. His discussion with parents uncovered that many do not see the value of sending their children to the Anganwadis when the infrastructure in these schools is so poor. Jishnu was able to raise Rs. 1,30,000 with which he was able to supply an Anganwadi with tables and chairs, student uniforms and shoes, and books and games. He has engaged the children in simple games and learning exercises to get them excited about learning new things. By making the environment more inviting, Jishnu hopes to incentivize parents to send their children to school. Jishnu hopes to replicate this model across more Anganwadis in the Bangalore Rural area.

In a world where clothing silently harms both our bodies and the Earth, Nishitashaa and Avni bring you Project MUse - a call to action, a commitment to change. The heart of the issue lies in the dark corners of fast fashion, where 92 million tons of cloth waste plague our planet yearly. Project MUse aims to minimize cloth wastage through the implementation of circular fashion in Bangalore's local communities. Their approach- the 3Rs - Realization, Reuse, Repair. Realization- Through surveys, awareness sessions and dynamic initiatives like busking and bake sales, they advocated action-driven change. Reuse- Partnering with Social Cred$ and others, they engaged 80-90 kids, collecting 1500+ clothes for reuse, benefiting villages, disabled communities, and children's homes. With 700 clothes given in exchange for community work, repurposed attire for the disabled, and 250 sets for children's homes, our impact echoes. Repair- Our upcycling workshops like halloween tote bag making and skill-building sessions promote sustainability at the heart of communities. Join them in reshaping communities through reuse, repair, and sustainable fashion.

Aditya Narayan’s fascination with robotics from his fourth grade to winning third place in programming at the First Lego League International Finals in 2019, his journey has been fueled by a passion for STEM. Volunteering at a local school highlighted educational disparities, inspiring him to launch Project Yantrikta, aiming to provide underprivileged students with access to STEM education and opportunities. The robotics program impacted 225 students in 6 government schools, conducting around 53 hours of sessions. 79% noted a significant rise in understanding robotics concepts, with 95% feeling more confident in programming robots. Remarkably, 67% expressed newfound inspiration to pursue STEM-related careers due to the program. The most significant learning from his journey was realizing the ability that STEM has in shaping aspirations and witnessing how introducing STEM opportunities can also ignite ambition and change the life trajectories for underprivileged youth. Aditya plans to advocate for equitable education, particularly in STEM fields, by implementing impactful interventions that address educational disparities in underprivileged communities.

Project TechUp is a non-profit that aims to prepare high school students for the future by teaching basic technological skills. Recognizing that tomorrow’s world is ruled by technology, I decided to take this opportunity to help out. Currently, I am conducting weekly classes at Need Base India Girls Home, teaching 9th, 10th, and 1st PU grades. Additionally, I am creating online courses to share with children from various wards in my apartment, as well as others whom I may not be able to teach in person. I have set up an online fundraiser on Milaap. I also initiated a donation drive and in-person fundraiser, receiving various devices along with 3000 rupees. I have provided these devices to schools, addressing the issue of missing keyboards and mice on many computers. My goal is to contribute to a world where everyone is prepared for the new world dominated by technology. I aim to eliminate barriers caused by a lack of access to technology knowledge for students. As our motto says, we want to ‘Ignite Minds to Illuminate Futures.

Project Vidya is a youth-led non-profit that aims to provide underprivileged children with fundamental understanding in core subjects, with English as the focus, as well as develop soft skills such as creativity and problem-solving. The project’s inspiration was meeting a 4th grader, Dhanushka, who had an abusive and traumatic childhood before being found by The Need Based Girls Home India, who provided her with an education. Interacting with her led Roshni to realise the need of quality education, especially in the field of English, to such children. Following this, she began taking classes for 60 students of grades 4,5 and 7 at the Need Based Girls Home, conducting 9 sessions so far in English, Math and Computer Science by teaching fundamental concepts through activities that developed soft skills simultaneously. She has also raised awareness through 3 sessions on social change and impact in education for 65+ students of grades 6 and 7; leading to encouraging many youngsters to take action of their own, conducting expert talks, and using her project’s instagram account to build awareness in 120+ people. Her fundraiser has been set up, aiming to raise funding to sponsor the education of 204 underprivileged students, and she has collected 200 storybooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries and textbooks to provide to students who require them. An online curriculum is also being developed to share with teachers to make the project sustainable. Roshni aims to expand her project further to create a more sustainable and bigger impact.

Project Agni, conceived from a personal encounter with the impact of cancer, stands as a beacon of hope in the realm of health and well-being. Our initiative, rooted in the mission of SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being, is dedicated to raising awareness among children aged 10 to 18 about the early symptoms of cancer. With a focus on fostering early detection, our objectives encompass empowering these young minds to recognize the signs, ultimately contributing to the global pursuit of healthier communities. Through impactful sessions, collaborations, and partnerships, Project Agni aspires to kindle a spark of hope for a future free from the pain and mourning caused by this formidable adversary. Additionally, we have raised close to $3000, that will be used on setting up screening camps and to raise awareness.

"The Women Of" project, led by the visionary Riana Kapoor, is a commendable initiative dedicated to uplifting underprivileged women in Bangalore. Focused on women aged 18 to 55, the project aims to bridge gaps and break barriers through education, skill-building, and holistic support. In collaboration with the NGO "Connecting Smiles," the project has successfully trained 90 women in hairdressing and stitching, fostering financial independence. Riana has raised an impressive 32,000 rupees and built a robust team of 35 volunteers, showcasing her ability to mobilize resources and create a collaborative community. The project's impact extends beyond skill development, with four fundraisers and two interactive sessions led by experts in finance and law, spreading awareness and knowledge. Three tailored sessions for women ensure ongoing motivation and engagement. Riana's holistic approach recognizes the importance of a supportive community, fostering personal and professional growth. "The Women Of" is not just a project; it's a transformative force actively breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for women in Bangalore, one skill, one session, and one fundraiser at a time.

Project Vitality is an initiative to provide an efficient healthcare system for young adults of ages 18 to 22 who have to leave orphanages to make them fit and well for future living. By Conducting consistent physical activities and events in the target region, providing a healthy and balanced diet for all those young adults, ensuring the diet is followed by regular check ups and measures, we have impacted 130 people directly and around 250 indirectly up to date. We envision a holistic approach that addresses physical health and equips these individuals with the support needed for a successful future. By fostering partnerships with other organizations, we strive to create an ecosystem that nurtures personal growth. As we move forward, Project Vitality plans to expand its outreach, reaching more young adults leaving orphanages across different regions. We aim to enhance the scalability and sustainability of our initiative.

Project Days for Girls is an initiative that aims to educate women and girls about their menstrual hygiene and sustainable menstruation. We have conducted numerous awareness sessions with students in government schools, with the support staff in my school and the housekeeping in my community. They were well briefed about how to go about menstrual hygiene. We have also raised 337 USD, which has helped many girls. Through collaborations with an NGO, Ekatara, who also aims on educating women, and a gynecologist, Dr Sapna, we have donated 50 reusable menstrual pads to teenage girls studying in a government school. In the future, Project Days for Girls plans on continuing to spread awareness and provide sanitary products.

Akash is the founder of Project Illuminate. He strongly believes in the power of quality education for all and its potential to make this planet a better place for everyone. Project Illuminate aims to empower dreams for underprivileged children between the ages of 5 to 15 through providing them access to quality education. Most underprivileged kids in Grade 1 to 7 struggle with a lack of sufficient and relevant educational supplies. Additionally, children in Grades 1-7 are introduced to new concepts in each grade; however, many find it challenging to understand difficult concepts and need focused attention and help. Akash plans to support them with educational supplies and tutoring help. He has been actively creating awareness about the cause through 10 online and offline campaigns and has interacted with 300 people. He has donated 500 books to a village school library through a book donation campaign. He has contributed INR 50,000 to an orphanage for destitute children’s school uniforms, shoes, and books, and INR 150,000 for a village school library through direct and one-time fundraising. As of now, he is working towards supporting 27 destitute children from an orphanage in Odisha with their educational supplies and tutoring for one year.

Mahima is the founder of Project Starfly™. The Starfly app offers peer support for kids with chronic illnesses and disabilities, providing them with a safe, structured space where they can engage with one another in a positive, bullying-free environment to reduce isolation and loneliness, thereby contributing to better health and well-being outcomes. Mahima’s journey in mental health started when as a child she moved from the US to India. Her American accent immediately marked her out as “different” from her peers in school and soon the bullying started. Enduring this experience over three years made her realize that there are many “different” children who suffer in silence. Since returning to the US, Mahima has jumped into mental health advocacy. Through leading a mental health club and podcasts at her school, publishing a research paper in a global journal, volunteering at mental health clinics and NGO’s, she now advocates for these marginalized children. In developing the Starfly™ app, Mahima had to navigate the rigorous regulatory environment in the US by working with multiple Children’s Hospitals, healthcare providers, and approval bodies. Her app has recently launched in both the Google Play and Apple app stores, and has received positive feedback from both children and parents. A future version of Starfly™ will incorporate a set of assessment tools, featuring a large language model that will give kids and their healthcare providers reports on wellbeing outcomes from kids’ app usage. Mahima continues to work within her local community to garner support from the medical community and local leaders and aims to utilize her position on the auxiliary committee of the Mayor’s Youth Council to ensure that sick children feel safe and supported during the difficult moments of their lives. Her website captures her mental health advocacy journey: https://starfly.social/

As a daughter of two doctors, I have been taught the positive benefits of a plant-based diet from a young age. As I grew older, I started to notice the accelerated degradation of our environment and quickly realized that it was up to my generation to make necessary changes. Hence I started project WEgan. Through WEgan I aim to increase the number of people who follow a plant-based diet in all age groups. Impact: Raised 35000 funds for a charity that feeds school children plant-based foods, authored The Compassionate Cookbook got featured on 104FM. Convinced 10 people to switch to fully cut meat from their diet.

Project Chapter is an initiative dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues among teenagers. I aimed to initiate conversations about mental health among students, fostering a sense of understanding about it as mental health is as normal and crucial as one's physical well-being. Thus to support and empower teenagers I started holding engaging awareness sessions in schools, online club activities, social media advocacy, and blog writing for the 'Mental Overload' blog. The awareness sessions delve into various aspects of mental health, such as self-care and emotion recognition. Project Chapter has made a significant impact, reaching over 700 students in Bengaluru, with several hundred more participating online. We have also established a dedicated group of passionate volunteers who play a crucial role in the success of this project.

VSupport is an initiative born amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. V-Support is a non-profit initiative that aims to provide safety healthcare equipment to Hospitals in rural areas during the covid-19 pandemic. I Raised almost $2,650 through crowdfunding methods. I Helped 25 Hospitals and impacted 1000+ healthcare workers. I was able to raise awareness through social media platforms about ‘vaccine awareness’ and ‘importance of following social distancing measures’.

Project Sirona was created with the vision of aiding underprivileged women in India in their battle against cancer. As a child, Abhinav witnessed his mother fight this formidable disease. What concerned him the most was how the disease remained completely undetected till stage 3, when a lucky general check-up revealed the truth. This is a luxury thousands in rural India are deprived of. With the majority of women in India completely unaware about the concept of cancer screening, 60% of cases are diagnosed at either stage 3 or stage 4. Despite 70% of the population of India living in rural regions, 95% of urban cancer treatment centers are located in urban areas of the country. For those who turn to treatment, the financial burden of treatment costs deter them, leading to a 50% attrition rate after 2 or 3 chemotherapy cycles. For a problem that appears bleaker as we explore further, Sirona uses a multipronged approach to combat cancer. From cancer screening, fundraising, and awareness, Sirona has impacted 300+ across multiple states, and raised 1 lakh till date to procure screening kits, rent screening buses and fund treatment costs. With the stigma around cancer screening emerging as a massively overlooked issue, Abhinav plans to tackle this next. Cancer in India is unbiased, it doesn't discriminate based on wealth or status. Help Sirona make cancer care unbiased as well.

Inspired by India’s vision to transform the national economy and recognizing the plight of struggling farmers, Aryan initiated Project MechaCrop. This sustainable agriculture initiative harnesses leading-edge technology to address agricultural challenges such as crop diseases and soil quality, with the ultimate goal of uplifting the economic well-being of farmers across India. With a combination of drone technology and AI-driven crop analysis, Aryan has developed a transformative process which empowers farmers to swiftly and easily identify and tackle crop rot, enabling farmers to take action to save their crops and livelihood. After extensive farm visits of over 20 farms in Gujarat and rigorous trials on several farms, the MechaCrop solution has been implemented on 9 farms in the village of Udan. These farms are the main source of income and food for the approximately 4,000 villagers here. By enabling early detection of issues, these farmers stand a high chance of a successful harvest.

Rochan, deeply moved by the challenges faced by visually impaired children, initiated Project Sapient to make a meaningful impact. The project focuses on empowering these students in Hyderabad by providing essential resources for better employment prospects. Through fundraising, he successfully raised $700 (INR 60,000) and impacted over 300 students between grades 7 and 10 at Devnar School for the Blind in Hyderabad. Project Sapient goes beyond traditional education for the visually challenged, conducting specialized courses on language skills and public speaking, enhancing students' abilities for the professional world. Through strategic connections, volunteers with experience working with the visually challenged from the fields of journalism and teaching were linked to the school, offering valuable insights into potential career paths to the students. In the coming months, Rochan aims to connect more volunteers to the lower grades of Devnar School for the Blind and work with more blind schools in Hyderabad, augmenting Project Sapient’s impact.

Upon seeing the devastating financial impact of the early days of the Covid-19 lockdown on day laborers and migrant workers, Chandiresh was moved to found Project Pave the Way. Project Pave the Way aims to help construction workers understand government schemes and financial basics. Chandiresh created multilingual animated educational videos and curated in-person workshops to teach financial literacy in an easy-to-understand manner. To date, he has taught over 300 workers about financial literacy and has helped around 700 workers sign up for the BOCW government scheme, giving them many benefits, including healthcare, financial aid, education benefits, and insurance. Close to Rupees 1.3 lakhs has also been fundraised in order to sustain and grow the project. The indirect impact of this enrollment is ~3000 people given the benefits to the whole family once the worker is able to enroll. A comprehensive online platform is under development which will bring together the financial literacy modules plus government scheme details and links to beneficial organizations all in one location.

The initiative ‘Suryanyak’ aims to create a mass movement of teaching general public and target groups CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) as well as soft skills in rural India, to spread awareness on cardiac arrests and save more lives via partnership with Govt. of Karnataka Arogya Sauda's 'Jeevanraksha' scheme. Over 15 campaigns have been held, and over 10,000 people trained in sessions held in Karnataka (Kolar), in Noida with ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, BMTC drivers, Gokaldas exports partnership (factory workers), mall workers, mall securities, gym workers, etc. and 2.5 lakhs raised on crowdfunding website for mannequins, electric defibrillators at rural hospitals, and AV projection.

Ishaan was deeply impacted after meeting local construction workers who work at a family factory. These workers told Ishaan about the lack of clean drinking water in their villages and in the schools that their children attend. This problem inspired Ishaan to take action. Ishaan worked with his grandfather to develop and test a solar powered chlor-alkali water filter to purify water in the most sustainable way possible. After piloting his device in Sahibabad UP, which resulted in a water filtration system supplying the 35+ families at the construction site, Ishaan moved to install his system in two other communities. Installation at the school in Sarai Kale Khan, New Delhi helps the Manav Mandir Mission Trust NGO supplement their communal water for 50 students. His third installation was at the make-shift community in Manju-ka-Tilla providing clean water to the migrant refugee families living there. Through crowdfunding, Ishaan raised Rs. 1,10,500 to help pay for the costs of his filtration system. Ishaan has further engaged with the student community in Sarai Kale Khan by tutoring students after their excitement and curiosity were piqued by his project’s installation.