Taking the initiative to create a positive change has never been a qualm for the students of today, who are energetic, opinionated and dynamic. Be it facing challenges like Tris Prior from the Divergent series or trying their best to make the world a better place to live in like the kids from Stranger Things, these students are always up for it! Their spare time isn’t meant for sitting back with a tub of popcorn and having a movie marathon. Instead, they choose to make every minute of their day count. We spoke to three such city-based organisations, founded and managed by students who work in different domains but with the same goal — becoming the change they wish to see.
Crafting a Change
Who can forget the Socially Useful productive Work (SUPW) programme we had in school? Two grade 10 students from Mallya Aditi, Manya Bharadwaj and Richa Tupe got together and came up with a brilliant idea to use handmade crafts from SUPW projects for a social cause. Manya said, “We made lots of fabrics at school and we didn’t want them to go waste. We came up with The Crafting Table through which we sell handmade crafts and fabrics at fairs and the money generated goes towards the cause of wildlife protection and rehabilitation.”
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
The three R’s of environmental consciousness are finally brought out of school textbooks and into the real world by Nishant Panicker and Aniruddha Voruganti, former students of National Public school and founders of Towards A Green Education (TAGE). Nishant said “We came up with this idea when we were in grade 10. We collect empty pages of half used notebooks and create new ones which are then given to underprivileged children. We collaborate with IPC’s Wealth of Waste initiative and they provide us with funds which we use to buy stationeries for these children.” Blank pages become the change makers in this case!
Adding colours to a bleak world!
Through the splash of paint, the strokes of brushes, the vibrant hues on the palette and distinct smell of varnish, young artists are encouraged to bring out their inner Picassos through Kayal, an art club in Christ University which was started by Prabha Jeeva, a former student at Christ. Harsimran Singh, a member of the club said “We set up a themed exhibition showcasing paintings and crafts done by students and the proceeds earned go towards funding underprivileged children.” Kayal is brightening up lives with all their hues!
Student initiatives like this inspire, motivate and reflect the angst of the present generation and their determination to change the world we live in for the greater good.
—Srishti Muralidharan
