“Mo Haatha, Safa Haatha”
Washing hands with soap and water can reduce the chances of contracting respiratory infections by 16% and reduce deaths associated with diarrheal diseases by 50%1. Despite being such a crucial determinant of personal health and wellness, the habit of regular handwashing is followed by a relatively small number of people. A survey by the National […]
Security Guard Cleaned 1 Tonne Waste from Beach & Mangrove Plantation, All by Himself
Rahul Maharana, a security guard working with a private company in Odisha, was in Class 12 when he first learned about climate change. “In 2018, an awareness programme at my college helped me understand the devastating effects of mismanagement of plastic pollution on the planet. I was shocked and disheartened by the facts,” he tells. […]
‘I Quit My Job in The US to Sell Organic Turmeric & Help Farmers Double their Income’
When Kiru Maikkapillai quit his well-paying job in the US to start an enterprise in India, his parents expected that he would still pursue his field of expertise. But to their surprise, he ended up starting a homegrown food brand based out of Tamil Nadu. The reason for their surprise was perhaps because Kiru dreamt […]
No Electricity & 50% Less Water: NRI’s Low-Cost Washing Machine Helps Women Refugees
Navjot Sawhney innovated a low-cost, unique washing machine after seeing the plight of his friend Divya. Today, the machine is a ray of hope for women of Iraq’s Mamrashan Refugee Camp and rural India. When British-born Indian Navjot Sawhney took a sabbatical from work in the UK and moved to India, he had never fathomed […]
This Fisherman Singlehandedly Brought Solar Electricity to a TN Village
“Until I completed my Class 12 examination there was no electricity connection in my village. I have spent all my school life studying with a lantern that would need kerosene to work,” says 30-year-old M Sakthivel, a resident of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. It took the Tsunami for the villagers of the coastal town of […]
IFS Officer Revives 66 Himalayan Springs to Help 1 Lakh People in 23 Villages
Springs, a primary water source for villages in Uttarakhand and the Himalayan sub-continent, are vanishing resulting in loss of income and migration. The disappearance of these precious water sources is due to erratic rainfall, mainly due to climate change. The water shortage is also because of the change in land use patterns owing to rampant development. The […]
Heroes in Battle, Nation-Builders for Life
Our armed forces are the guardians of our land, water and skies. They are the first respondersin any situation of combat, whether protecting the nation from external threats, maintainingsecurity and stability during internal conflicts, running international peacekeeping missions, orcountering transnational terrorism. Every society owes an immense debt to its armed forces, aswell as their families, […]
From 18 to 100 Tonnes of Grapes: How an Initiative Helped this Nashik Farmer Succeed
“I remember toiling in the fields barefoot, using my hands to spread the insecticides and pesticides. I could never dream of affording any technology. But those days are gone.” “Farming is a noble profession. But it is plagued by the stereotype that farmers are poor and struggle to survive. This is true to a certain […]
Tortured as a Child Labourer, He Is Now Helping Draft India’s Anti-trafficking Bill
Nearly one in 10 children are subjected to forced labour worldwide — with some pushed into hazardous work through trafficking, as per UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). Khem Lal Khaterji was all of six when he began his life as a child labourer. At an age when children are just learning to read and attempting […]
LEARN ONE, LEARN ALL
Apart from being a major health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic is also one of the biggest educational calamities in human history. The effect is seen not only in higher dropout rates but also in the disparity with respect to learning opportunities. The shift to online learning requires teachers and students to use personal technology devices […]