Global IndianstoryChetan Singh Solanki: The Solar Man of India transforming global energy access and sustainability

Chetan Singh Solanki: The Solar Man of India transforming global energy access and sustainability

Written by: Bindu Gopal Rao

(September 7, 2023) Chetan Singh Solanki is a man on a mission. For the past eleven years, Chetan, who has earned himself the moniker, Solar Man of India, has been on an extended ‘Solar Yatra’, hoping to increase awareness around energy conservation, and promoting the use of solar energy. Climate change is a reality that no one can really turn their back on. And for someone who has committed 11 years for the cause of energy to the extent that he has promised not to go home is a cause that needs to be applauded. Chetan Solanki is known for his global work in Energy Access, Energy Sustainability, and Climate Change.

The IIT-ian gave up on the cushy job prospects that come with being part of the academic elite. Instead, he headed to Belgium for a PhD and when he returned, coined the term ‘Energy Swaraj’, which aims to bring localised energy solutions to off-grid communities around the world. For over three years now, he has travelled the country on the Energy Swaraj bus to spread awareness, develops solar PV technologies, conducts training, and executes large-scale projects across the globe. Solanki also collaborates with policy makers and recently became the Brand Ambassador of Solar Energy for the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

The Solar Man of India posing beside solar panels | Global Indian

Chetan Solanki, the Solar Man of India

Looking Back

Solanki was born in a small village in Madhya Pradesh and his primary school had just one room for five classes. His parents managed to send him to Indore where he completed his engineering. “I was encouraged to pursue higher studies by my teachers, I could clear the entrance examination and went on to do masters in microelectronics from prestigious IIT Bombay. Since I came from a rural background, I always wanted to do something for village people. After my master’s degree, I wanted to work in the social sector. I tried to pursue a Ph.D. in social science and tried to get a job in the social sector. But it did not work, as I had masters from IIT Bombay, I was turned down saying I was overqualified. I started my job of chip design in a multinational company,” Solanki tells Global Indian. But he was not satisfied as he wanted to work on some technology that would be useful for society. Around 1998-99 he thought about solar energy solutions being beneficial for the society, and particularly, for rural areas and it was then that he decided to leave the job and headed to Europe to do a Ph.D. in solar energy.

Sun Shine

At IIT Bombay, Solanki has two major accomplishments to his name. He was instrumental in setting up the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE), one of the best research centres in the PV domain that comprises nine laboratories. Faculty members and students from six to seven departments collaborate to conduct research. “Secondly, I led another important project, which was dear to me, it was Solar Urja through Localization for Sustainability (SoULS) project. Through this project we localised the solar energy solutions, empowering local communities to assemble, repair and maintain solar projects. We have trained nearly 10,000 rural women for the job. And through the SoULS project, we reached 7.5 million families providing them clean light. This project earned me a lot of recognition and awards with total cash prizes of more than Rs. 1 Crore,” says Solanki. He has also written four books on solar energy and his books, research papers, and US patents reflect a journey of innovation and impact. Solar Photovoltaics demystifies solar energy’s potential while his research papers advance solar tech, addressing climate challenges.

Energy Swaraj Yatra

The Solar Man of India has been on the Energy Swaraj Yatra for over 1000 days

On his 11-year journey, onboard a bus named Energy Swaraj Yatra, the Solar Man of India plans to change the world in the manner it generates and consumes energy. The Energy Swaraj Foundation spearheads a transformative public movement towards Energy Swaraj or Energy Independence, towards 100% solar powered living. It is the only organisation that empowers individuals, communities, and institutions to impart awareness about climate change and encourage masses to adopt renewable energy solutions. The ever-growing generation of and consumption of energy has contributed to the problem of climate change, which is now becoming catastrophic and even raising the questions on continued human existence beyond this century.

“Solar energy solutions if adopted in a sensible manner can not only solve the problem of climate change but also provide jobs, strengthen local economics, and provide clean energy supply. I have embarked on an 11-year journey to ignite the change towards 100% solar powered life. This nationwide movement aims to empower communities with sustainable energy solutions. Through workshops, seminars, and activations, we will raise awareness and drive action for decentralised, solar-powered living. It is a call to embrace energy self-reliance, bridging gaps and fostering a greener future,” says Solanki.

The Road Ahead

The Solar Man of India believes that persistence fuels progress. His Energy swaraj Yatra has now completed 1000 days and has reached 22 states, covered 43000 km, and met more than two lakh people collaborating with more than 2100 organisations. “Slowly it has become clear to me that the way the world is using technology and growing economically, the humans are creating more problems for themselves, rather than making their lives easier. With increase in advancement, there is greater stress, depression levels are rising, degradation of natural resources is more than before and above all climate change is accelerating. But unfortunately, most people are sleeping on the current dire and critical situation we are living on the planet. I have learned that climate correction is beyond any government or policies now,” Solanki opines.

Blindly accepting solar energy solutions is not the solution either, Solanki says, especially without knowledge of the boundary conditions o flivingo n the planet. “I have learned that modern humans have become experts in solving one problem and creating another problem. We have not aligned ourselves with nature, and in that case no technological solution be ever sustainable,” says Solanki. Going forward, the number of Energy Swaraj Yatra buses will be increased and initiatives like Energy Literacy Training, Ek Kamra Solar Ka that can be adopted globally will be pushed ahead. “We are going to collaborate with a wider network to bring these solutions beyond India. Through our online platform the Energy Literacy Training is already taken by people from more than 50 countries,” concludes Solanki.

Follow the Solar Man of India on LinkedIn and the Energy Swaraj Foundation on Instagram, Facebook, X their website

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Published on 07, Sep 2023

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Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap on his Assamese film in the Oscars 2023 race: It feels absurd

(December 22, 2022) Standing at an arm's distance from his classmate in the morning assembly queue, it was a regular balmy morning for an eighth grader Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap. But little did the then Guwahati teenager know that the morning in the February of 2009 was set to change the course of his life. Within a few minutes into the assembly, the school erupted in a deafening celebration as Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars. The announcement made the then 13-year-old Tuhin contemplate making a film for the very first time. "Slumdog Millionaire was a British production set in India with an Indian star cast. I wondered if someone from outside could come here and make a film that has won an Oscar, then why couldn't we make an Indian film like that? That was the first time that I seriously thought about making a film," says Tuhin who was so keen to hold that Oscars statue someday, that he scribbled a sketch of it on his vision board in his room. And now 15 years later, the filmmaker is an inch closer to realising his childhood dream as his 15-min Assamese film Mur Ghurar Duronto Goti (The Horse

Mur Ghurar Duronto Goti (The Horse From Heaven) is a 2023 Oscars contender for Best Live Action Short Film.

[caption id="attachment_33088" align="aligncenter" width="606"] Indian filmmaker | Mahrashi Tuhin Kashyap | Global Indian Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap is an Indian filmmaker[/caption]

A perfect expression of surrealism, the film tells the story of an Ojapali performer who believes that he has the world's fastest horse, and wants to win all the races in the city. But in reality, it's not a horse but a donkey. "Making it to the Oscars 2023 race feels as absurd as the film is," laughs Tuhin who recently won the best short film prize at the Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK), the world's oldest film school. "The screening of the film in Moscow was a beautiful moment as I realised that people in different parts of the world can connect to the film," the final year student at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) says, adding that making it to Oscar race is a sort of validation. "The film got rejected at various international festivals, and many times I thought 'Is this film a donkey that I think is a horse?'," he guffaws. "But now I feel that it did connect with people, and that's what matters to me."

The 15-min film was made as a part of his second-year curriculum at SRFTI, and Kashyap never in his wildest dream thought that a college project would land up at the Academy Awards race. It all began at his grandmother's funeral when he and his father met a man who couldn't stop talking about his horse. "It was an absurd encounter with a man who went on and on about his horse. I remember asking my dad if you believe in this man's story about his horse, to which he replied, 'Maybe he doesn't even have a horse. What he has, must be a donkey.' I found it bizarre but somehow it stuck with me. So, when I had to pitch an idea for my project, I decided to make a film on the same idea," Tuhin reveals, who initially had a hard time convincing his mentor Putul Mehmood of the idea. But as the script progressed, the film started taking shape.

[caption id="attachment_33089" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Indian filmmaker | Global Indian | Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap A still from The Horse From Heaven[/caption]

The cause and effect of theatre

This love for direction and cinema has its roots in theatre, something that Tuhin began indulging in Class 4. He still remembers his first role - a beggar - that made him the talk of the school. His dad recognised his talent and took him to a summer camp. "I call it my first step into acting. That's how my interest in theatre started developing. Soon, I became a part of children's theatre and started working with Manik Roy sir. Taking up theatre changed things for me," he tells Global Indian. But it was Slumdog Millionaire bagging eight Oscars that shifted things for Tuhin, who knew he had found his calling in filmmaking.

Film school calling

He learnt about the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune from one of his teachers and knew that he wanted to get in. "Someone told me that to get into a film school, one needed science. So, after Class 10, I took up science just so that I could make it to FTII or SRFTI someday," smiles Tuhin, who also met Jahnu Barua's art director Phatik Baruah to understand the nitty-gritty of filmmaking. "It was a ground preparation for me." Around the same time, he started Deuka Films with a bunch of aspiring filmmakers who had "no idea how cinema is made." They began experimenting with a basic DSLR and learnt to edit. Their first film Crossroads about child labour made it to the 2015 International Film Festival in Malta. "We were amazed something like this could happen, and this exposure helped me get into SRFTI."

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When Tuhin enrolled in film school, he wanted to be the next Anurag Kashyap. "It was glamour that I was after. But SRFTI changed my perspective on cinema. It gave me time for myself, and I started dissecting my existence. Gradually, exploring my identity and my roots (Assamese) started becoming important to me. Now through films, I want to talk about my own identity. Being from the northeast is something I want to talk about and the collective consciousness we have as a community," says the filmmaker who used Ojapali, an indigenous folk dance from Assam in The Horse From Heaven, which he says is now a dying art form. "I was keen to use this ancient storytelling form and translate it into cinema."

Making to the Oscars' race

The story and the form of storytelling both resonated with the audience all across the globe, so much so that it beat Varun Grover's Kiss to win the top prize at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2022 (BISFF). Tuhin explains that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has designated BISFF as an official qualifying film festival for the live-action category, and any film that wins the top honours at BISFF automatically makes it to the Oscars race. It was in November that he received a confirmation that his film has made it to Academy Awards consideration. Despite being ecstatic about the news, Tuhin humbly believes that he's "not in the position to be awarded Oscars yet." "I will be glad if I get it, but I think I am yet to make my best cinema. But definitely, I have been a long way than I had imagined," avers the man for whom connecting with people is more important than awards.

Cinema as an expression

Tuhin was barely a teenager when the first seeds of filmmaking were sowed in his young mind, and now years later, he is happy to have found his calling in its truest form. While he still has a long way to go, the filmmaker says that in this journey so far, he has learnt how important it is to believe in oneself and to never give up on your dreams. "If we know in our heart, what we are doing is the right thing. One should pursue it, despite what naysayers tell you."

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A post shared by Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap (@the_hobo_storyteller)

While The Horse From Heaven has put Assamese cinema on a global platform, Tuhin believes that his film is just a speck in the "vibrant and experimental" cinema that Assam is witnessing these days. "My film might inspire aspiring filmmakers to take that chance and follow their dreams. But I don't know if it will be a game changer as it's a good time for the Assamese film industry. With the digitisation, the ball game has changed." The 28-year-old, who is already working on two feature film ideas and a few non-fiction ideas, wants to use his craft to express himself and to inspire people to be themselves. "I want to talk about things that have an impression on me and what it's about being from the northeast, a marginalised place. My work will inspire people to be themselves and who they are matters."

[caption id="attachment_33090" align="aligncenter" width="662"] Indian filmmaker | Global Indian | Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap A still from The Horse From Heaven[/caption]

Tuhin opines that it's inspiring to see his film making it to the Oscars race as it gives hope to filmmakers sitting in small cities in any part of the country that it's possible to make their dreams come true. "I don't know if my film has been a game changer but What it has done is that it has opened a window of opportunity for many people that anything is possible," he signs off.

Follow Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap on Instagram

Reading Time: 8 min

Bengal to Barbados: Sabir Nakhuda’s quest to unveil the untold story of Indian migration on the Caribbean island nation

(September 5, 2024) Nestled in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, next to North America. It's one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. The story of Indian migration to Barbados began around 1910 with Bashart Ali Dewan from West Bengal, the first documented migrant from India to the island. Intrigued by this historical narrative, Indian-origin Sabir Nakhuda, a former journalist and author who grew up in Barbados, dedicated 15 years to researching and crafting his book - Bengal to Barbados: A 100 Year History of East Indians in Barbados. “It is a labour of love and a crucial mission to preserve the history of a community whose story needed to be told,” he remarks while connecting with Global Indian. This year Sabir Nakhuda co-founded the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. and Bengal to Barbados Digital Project with his friend Suleiman Bulbulia to highlight the distinctness and impact of East Indian-Bajan identity. The digital project, which is being co-curated by the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, weaves together migration stories from Bengal, Gujarat, Sindh, and South India with themes of cultural integration, heritage, and intergenerational experiences. [caption id="attachment_55453"

igital Project with his friend Suleiman Bulbulia to highlight the distinctness and impact of East Indian-Bajan identity. The digital project, which is being co-curated by the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, weaves together migration stories from Bengal, Gujarat, Sindh, and South India with themes of cultural integration, heritage, and intergenerational experiences.

[caption id="attachment_55453" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Indian Art and Culture | Bengal to Barbados | Sabir Nakhuda | Global Indian Sabir Nakhuda (centre) with Indian-origin people during the launch of Bengal to Barbados Foundation and digital project[/caption]

Quest to revive Indian legacy in Barbados

In 1953 author Sabir Nakhuda’s father travelled from the village of Tadkeshwar in the Surat district of Gujarat to the distant Caribbean Island of Barbados for work. He was one of those Indian migrants from the region who were seeking better opportunities far from home. Five years later, in 1958, when Sabir was just ten years old, his father sent for him to join him in this new land. His mother and younger brother followed them in 1960, and the place became their new home.

“Growing up in Barbados, I navigated a unique cultural landscape, balancing my Indian roots with my new life in the Caribbean. I completed my primary and secondary education on the island, and later, pursued higher education in Canada. Fluent in Gujarati, Hindi, and Urdu, I always maintained a strong connection with my heritage, even as I adapted to my new environment,” Sabir tells.

It wasn’t until he began working at The Barbados Advocate, one of the oldest newspapers on the island, that he realised how little was known about the East Indian community in Barbados. He came across a few interviews from the 1950s with two elders from their community, which touched on their arrival in Barbados. But it quickly became apparent that there was so much more to uncover. “There were no documented records or any other accounts of our community’s history on the island. This realisation sparked a determination in me to dig deeper and document our story,” he remarks.

[caption id="attachment_55465" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Indian Art and Culture | Sabir Nakhuda | Bengal to Barbados | Global Indian Sabir Nakhuda at the 2024 Genealogy Market, Barbados[/caption]

With no written records to rely on, Sabir turned to oral history, visiting and interviewing various members of both the Barbadian and East Indian communities. He collected documents, photographs, and artefacts, piecing together the fragmented history of this often-overlooked group.

During my research, a particularly significant moment came when a family of early Bengali migrants shared an airmail letter with me. The sender’s address on the back of that letter led me to India, where I was determined to trace the roots of the first migrant who came to Barbados.

Sabir Nakhuda shares

In 1999, Sabir took a trip to India with a purpose – to find the first migrant from India who landed in Barbados. It was a journey that took him to the village of Jinpoor, where he found the descendants of the first migrant - Bashart Ali Dewan. It took him about two weeks to find the village of the first migrant.

“I interviewed his sons, other family members, and villagers, documenting their stories through pictures, videos, and recorded interviews. Often, my Bengali friends helped translate, ensuring that the rich history of these families was accurately captured. These recordings, now preserved in my hard drive, form a crucial part of the historical record I have worked to create,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_55456" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Indian Art Culture | Bengal Barbados | Sabir Nakhuda | Global Indian Bashart Ali Dewan - first Indian migrant to Barbados | Photo Courtesy : Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc[/caption]

Keeping heritage and connections alive

Along with his research, Sabir Nakhuda has also collected various Indian artefacts, including old bicycles, jackets, relics, and photographs. These items, along with the history of the East Indian community, have been displayed in genealogy and archive exhibitions in collaboration with the Barbados Archives Department, where Sabir has been a contributor for many years.

“I also give lectures on the arrival of East Indians and their contributions to nation-building in Barbados, ensuring that our story is told and remembered,” tells Sabir who is enjoying an active retired life.

Due to his research that lasted 15 years, the author and former journalist has developed strong connections with the families of other Bengali migrants across various villages in West Bengal. “Although I am a Gujarati and not related to Bashart Ali and his family, I visit them and family members of other migrants spread across various villages in Bengal, whenever I travel to India.” he mentions.

[caption id="attachment_55463" align="aligncenter" width="844"] Indian Art and Culture | Sabir Nakhuda | Bengal to Barbados | Global Indian Sabir Nakhuda presented his book to Barbados PM Freundel Stuart in 2013 and President of Guyana, Mohammed Irfan Ali in 2023[/caption]

Sabir Nakhuda has been to many parts of India dozens of times, and makes a point to visit his own uncles, aunts and extended family members in India, whenever possible.

One of my most cherished experiences was being invited to speak at the Visva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan in West Bengal in 2019, where I discussed the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean. I was elated to visit the place built by Rabindranath Tagore, as he is one of my favourite poets.

Sabir Nakhuda shares

In addition to his historical work, Sabir Nakhuda also writes poetry in English, Gujarati, and Urdu, and has continued his oral research, currently focusing on a book on the migration of Muslims from India to Barbados. “This upcoming work will detail the names of the villages from which Muslims have migrated, the history and pictures of these villages, and a chronology of every individual who came to Barbados from 1910 to 2023,” he says.

Creating legacy for future generations

The year 2016 was eventful both for Barbados as a nation and for Sabir Nakhuda as an author. It was the year when the nation celebrated 50 years of its independence. The same year, while attending the Commonwealth Prime Ministers meeting, Barbados's PM Freundel Stuart presented Nakhuda's book Bengal to Barbados to India's PM, Modi. "PM Stuart later told me that he discussed the context of my book with PM Modi and highlighted the contributions East Indians have made in various fields of nation-building," the author recalls. The foreword of the book was written by none other than PM Stuart himself.

During Barbados’s 50th anniversary of independence, the author was selected to serve on the committee organizing the celebrations. A time capsule was placed at the historic site of Independence Square in Bridgetown, the capital, where the Independence flag was first raised. Among the artifacts, two books were included: the autobiography of Sir Garfield Sobers, a former Barbadian cricketer who is considered Barbados's national hero and the greatest all-rounder in the world, and Bengal to Barbados.

The time capsule is set to be opened on Barbados's 100th anniversary in 2066. While I may not be around, my future generations will be, and most importantly, the legacy of the East Indian presence and our stories will resurface.

Nakhuda says with pride

[caption id="attachment_55690" align="aligncenter" width="433"] Indian Author | Sabir Nakhuda | Global Indian Cover Image of Sabir Nakhuda's book[/caption]

Connecting the dots

Sabir Nakhuda's friend Suleiman Bulbulia’s interest in co-founding the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. with him stems from the same deep commitment to preserve and promote the history and culture of the East Indian community in the Caribbean island nation. He even has a distant connection with the first documented Indian migrant to the country. “My paternal grandfather's second wife was related to Bashart Ali Dewan, the first documented East Indian migrant to Barbados,” he says.

Born and raised in Barbados, Suleiman's paternal and maternal grandfathers migrated from Kaphleta, Gujarat in the 1930s. With the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. the retail senior manager by profession seeks to bridge cultural understanding and acceptance of Indian-origin people in the island nation.

[caption id="attachment_55460" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Indian Art and Culture | Suleiman Bulbulia | Bengal to Barbados | Global Indian Suleiman Bulbulia during the launch of Bengal to Barbados Foundation and digital project[/caption]

Both Sabir Nakhuda and Suleiman Bulbulia are dedicated to documenting the stories, history, and legacy of East Indians in Barbados. Their goal is to collect tangible, historic items from the Indian community to create a permanent display of these artefacts. Additionally, they aim to share the collected information through their website and social media platforms.

“Our efforts have centred around providing accurate historical information about the Indian community in Barbados while promoting their culture, knowledge, and heritage. These efforts have led to an understanding and acceptance of the Indian community among both the government and the general public in Barbados. Additionally, our work has strengthened the bonds of friendship between India and Barbados,” Suleiman signs off.

Follow Sabir Nakhuda and Suleiman Bulbulia on Facebook
To know more about Bengal to Barbados Digital Project, visit its website

Reading Time: 5 mins

Mukti Bosco: The Indian social entrepreneur who is changing lives with her healing touch

(September 2, 2021) Twenty years ago Mukti Bosco, then a post graduate student in health management, was on a field visit to Hyderabad’s Charminar area. She struck up a conversation with some women from the area and asked them what they would do in the face of an unforeseen emergency, most of them said that they would mortgage their assets. But it was one woman’s response that changed Bosco’s perspective forever: she told Bosco that she had to pull her six-year-old son out from school and send him to work at a tea shop as she had borrowed ₹5,000 for her husband’s typhoid treatment. The incident moved her so much that Bosco decided she didn’t want to be a mere bystander, she wanted to do something to change things - and Healing Fields Foundation (HFF) was born. Headquartered in Hyderabad, HFF has been providing training and support for women as health change agents in their communities. The Foundation works in rural areas of poorer states to impact change in the areas with the greatest need. From working to prevent health problems and facilitate access to health services and entitlements from the government, HFF has been working across the sector and has done extensive pandemic relief work as well. In fact, HFF has recently been recognized

and Healing Fields Foundation (HFF) was born. Headquartered in Hyderabad, HFF has been providing training and support for women as health change agents in their communities. The Foundation works in rural areas of poorer states to impact change in the areas with the greatest need. From working to prevent health problems and facilitate access to health services and entitlements from the government, HFF has been working across the sector and has done extensive pandemic relief work as well. In fact, HFF has recently been recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of India’s Top 50 COVID-19 Last Mile Responders.

[caption id="attachment_9131" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Indian social entrepreneur Mukti Bosco Mukti Bosco[/caption]

Rocky beginnings

Growing up with medical professionals at home - her father being an eye doctor and her mother a nurse - Bosco knew she would also follow in their footsteps. But her path was unclear until she finished her degree from Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore. "That is when I knew what I wanted to do something for the society," recalls Bosco in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. She graduated in Occupational Therapy from Vellore and later completed her Master's degree in Healthcare Management from the Administrative Staff College of India and John Hopkins University.

[caption id="attachment_9132" align="aligncenter" width="564"] HFF volunteers A Healing Fields Foundation CHE at work[/caption]

The Charminar incident shook Bosco more than she’d anticipated. "It broke my soul and that's how Healing Fields was conceptualized," she says. Mother to a 5-year-old son herself, Mukti resolved to do something in the health sector so that no underprivileged person had to sacrifice their children's future again.

The initial days of the Foundation were difficult. Few people took her seriously, but Bosco knew what she was doing. "When they saw I was determined, support started pouring in," smiles Bosco, who is also an Ashoka Fellow. With zero experience in the social sector, she stepped in with a positive mindset. "Social entrepreneurship is always in a startup mode and nothing can be taken for granted. I learnt most of it on the job," she says.

Working for impact

In the last twenty years, Bosco has been giving back to society by leading Healing Fields Foundation into several areas. From training and supporting health and hygiene initiatives for women in rural areas to training health professionals at the grassroots level and beyond, the aim has been to reach as many people as possible. Healing Fields has worked across the country in states like Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

Healing Fields has so far has trained 5,000 community health entrepreneurs across 10 states, reaching 6.25 million people. This year, HFF plans to undertake a new project called TeleHealth. "This project aims to train a health leader to conduct basic health checks, as well as connect her to a network of clinics through a digital platform," says Bosco. "She will be therefore able to earn extra income for herself while bringing last-mile health services for her community," she adds.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usiLaSLakBg[/embed]

One evening in June, a health worker at the Healing Fields Foundation in Bihar received an urgent call from Bheriya village in Kaimur district. Around 20 children were vomiting and displaying symptoms of diarrhea in the village. Immediately, a team comprising Community Health Entrepreneur (CHE), the Gram Pradhan, Healing Fields staff, and the doctor was formed.

The CHE assessed every child who was unwell and advised the parents regarding maintaining hydration. ORS and medicines were given free of cost, and children with severe symptoms were shifted to a hospital. The team also coordinated with the local government officials and organized a health camp in the village to assess and identify the cause of the illness. It turned out that it was due to food served at a wedding.

The quick action by HFF meant that the problem was nipped in the bud. When a problem relates to children, the Foundation makes it a point to solve the problem as early as possible.

It may have been a twenty-year journey with Healing Fields Foundation, but for Bosco every day is new, filled with challenges and new ideas to serve the community.

Reading Time: 5 mins

Rahul Jain: India-born entrepreneur changing digital payment scene in South Africa

(October 14, 2022) If Mastercard’s New Payment Index 2022 is to be believed, 95 percent of consumers in South Africa used at least one emerging digital payment method in the last year and 67 percent of consumers have purchased from an online marketplace. The purpose with which India-born Rahul Jain set up Peach Payments in South Africa in 2013 has now come to fruition, as a decade later, he is happy to be making digital payments easier in the country. "With Peach, we believe that we are building a potential 100-year business. Digital commerce is the future and we’re building the infrastructure on which this future is being built. As opportunities are seized by entrepreneurs across Africa to build digital businesses, we want to be the preferred payment platform to enable their success," Rahul tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_30585" align="aligncenter" width="806"] Rahul Jain is the founder of Peach Payments in South Africa.[/caption] When Rahul moved to Cape Town from Boston, his focus was South Africa, but Peach Payments has now expanded to Kenya and Mauritius, as "digital commerce has helped democratise many industries." For someone who is a regular at Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, Africa FinTech Festival, ECOM Africa, and

ahul Jain is the founder of Peach Payments in South Africa.[/caption]

When Rahul moved to Cape Town from Boston, his focus was South Africa, but Peach Payments has now expanded to Kenya and Mauritius, as "digital commerce has helped democratise many industries." For someone who is a regular at Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, Africa FinTech Festival, ECOM Africa, and Seamless Africa, Rahul has enabled many businesses to scale, "often from a rough idea into incredible success stories." Peach Payments was just an idea in 2011 which took a few years to translate into reality. However, it is currently thriving, and how! "We’ve seen apps being built to make it easier for people to buy insurance. New ways of providing credit such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) have helped democratise access to credit. Most of these new insurtechs and BNPL players have used Peach to build their businesses. We see our role as enablers and catalysts in helping people solve problems," adds the entrepreneur.

An internship that changed it all

Born and raised in a business family in Delhi, entrepreneurship runs in his blood. While his paternal family loved carving out watches in India under the Jayco brand, his maternal grandfather pioneered ceramics in India. As a kid, he heard the dinner table conversations and somehow it kind of got "ingrained" in him at a young age. "I always knew I wanted to do something of my own," he says. This passion led him to pursue an MBA degree from IESE Business School in Barcelona, after completing his degree in engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University. But little did he know that a summer internship at a boutique venture capital fund in Pretoria, South Africa would introduce him to his German friend, Andreas Demleitner, with whom he would someday launch his own startup.

[caption id="attachment_30586" align="aligncenter" width="711"] Entrepreneur | Rahul Jain | Global Indian Andreas Demleitner and Rahul Jain are the co-founders of Peach Payments[/caption]

The two stayed in touch, but life had other plans at that time. Always the first to grab an opportunity, Jain moved to Boston as part of an exchange program at Sloan School of Management at MIT and stayed at the state capital for two years where he worked with a strategy consulting job advising large retailers and airlines about e-commerce and marketing. It was in November 2011 that Rahul got a call from Andreas asking him to join hands in "starting a digital payments business in Africa."

Taking the risk

It was the perfect chance to dip his toes in entrepreneurship, and that's when he decided to move to South Africa to start Peach Payments. "We were also accepted into a startup incubator called Umbono that Google was running in Cape Town. We were one of the nine startups in that program. It was a great opportunity and one that was hard to pass up," explains the entrepreneur. They joined forces with the ambitious goal of revolutionising the online payment space in South Africa. For someone who had lived in Barcelona and Boston, Jain was willing to take the challenge of moving to Cape Town.

Though he feels that he is on the other end of the world and "a trip to India takes 16-17 hours at a minimum," he is sailing through. "All my family and friends are in India. My wife is from Nepal and her family is also based in the subcontinent. So for us, the distance is something we feel all the time," reveals the entrepreneur. Moving to a new city and starting a new life with new friends was formidable on a personal front.

Even professionally, it was a challenging task. While Jain's dream of becoming an entrepreneur was translating into a reality, raising money was an initial hurdle. After one of the seed-funding rounds collapsed at the last moment, they had their backs against the wall. So much so that Jain and his business partner were paying salaries through their savings. "We have faced several challenges. Some of them relate to being a foreigner in a new country and trying to start a new business. I had no networks here and no one knew us," reveals Jain. However, the entrepreneur remained focused on growing sales and revenues, and it was the small victories that led them to solve the cash crunch.

[caption id="attachment_30588" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Entrepreneur | Rahul Jain | Global Indian Rahul Jain moved to South Africa to start Peach Payments[/caption]

The ’gamechanging’ pandemic

In the last decade, Peach Payments has rapidly expanded its suite of tools to help online businesses scale. The risk of moving continents for the startup paid off as it provides online payment solutions to any enterprise selling a product through websites, apps, email, and SMS. Currently active in South Africa, Kenya, and Mauritius, Peach Payments "will be expanding to two more countries by the end of the year." The pandemic led to a fundamental shift in consumer behaviour towards digital commerce, which Jain calls a "gamechanger". People were suddenly forced to buy online during the lockdown, and it inspired them to see the benefits of digital commerce and the convenience it brought with itself.

"The business mindset also changed at an incredible pace. Businesses that previously were only considering e-commerce are suddenly going online in a matter of days. At Peach Payments, we saw record numbers of new accounts in 2020. Across market segments – from retail, digital learning, fitness, and even traditional financial services – we’ve onboarded new clients in almost every vertical in the past two years," explains Rahul, who reveals that the transaction volumes grew 4.5 times since the start of the pandemic.

When Jain started Peach Payments, it took him a year to convince the first bank in South Africa to work with them. But the funding landscape is changing now. "It was incredibly hard to raise any venture capital during the first few years. Africa was not where venture capitalists were investing. This has only really changed in the past two years now. Today, you are seeing unicorns emerge in Africa and startups regularly raising funding rounds of more than $100 million. Back in 2014-15, it was incredibly hard to raise even $100k in funding. So, we were forced to bootstrap the business to a large extent."

Indian diaspora’s help

It was the Indian diaspora largely that helped him travel and integrate with ease across various countries in Africa. He says that Indians are well-respected across the subcontinent, and the diaspora in Kenya especially plays a major role in the local economy and welfare. Jain, who sees a big opportunity in Indian companies, is of the firm belief that such startups should look to expand in Africa. And he has a plan too. "One of my goals is to make it easier for Indian companies to sell in Africa. At Peach, we can process and collect payments for them and repatriate their funds to India making it much easier for them to grow in Africa. I genuinely believe in this and trying to play a role in helping build on this from a digital commerce perspective. I have also recently helped kick off the JITO initiative in South Africa," adds the entrepreneur.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaoCX8LS_Qc[/embed]

Rahul, who enjoys the outdoors in Cape Town, spends time in the Winelands, hikes, and plays a sport. "Besides spending time with my 5-year-old daughter, I am passionate about padel, an up-and-coming racquet sport that originated in Mexico and is very popular in Spain and now starting to grow in South Africa as well," he adds.

Peach Payments has changed the way digital payments are seen in Africa, and it has brought its share of learnings. "Starting and growing Peach Payments has taught me that nothing comes easily. Being a successful start-up is all about grinding away at big obstacles and acknowledging that progress takes time," the entrepreneur signs off.

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Reading Time: 7 min

Sparsh Ahuja, Sam Dalrymple and Sadia Gardezi: Taking India-Pak partition witnesses back to their childhood homes through VR

(August 17, 2024) "All the gold and silver that we owned, I, an 11-year-old child at the time, dug a deep pit and buried it to keep it safe, because we didn’t think we wouldn’t return. We thought we will be coming back, but we couldn’t,” lamented 84-year-old Dharampal, who migrated from Sialkot in Pakistan to Jammu, then Amritsar, and ultimately Bombay during the 1947 partition. He shared his memories of those painful days with the Project Dastaan team that has been working to facilitate virtual reconnections of people to the homes they left during the tragic times. Dharampal’s father was tragically left behind during Partition on the other side of the border. “My uncle said, ‘I’ll give you the wood, I’ll give you all the wheat we have, get my brother back.’ They said, ‘We are not interested.’ My uncle couldn’t get his brother and he was later killed'.” Dharampal’s story echoes the countless journeys undertaken by refugees during the partition crisis. The event affected the entire subcontinent who had to suffer irreparable loss and trauma for the rest of their lives. About 14 million people migrated and thousands perished during the 1947 partition. View this post on

the rest of their lives. About 14 million people migrated and thousands perished during the 1947 partition.

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A post shared by Project Dastaan (@project.dastaan)

Launched in 2018 Project Dastaan serves as a poignant reminder that ordinary people are the most impacted when a nation is torn apart. Their lives are uprooted forever. In 2023 Project Dastaan became part of the British Key Stage 3 school curriculum. The peace-building initiative has also facilitated reconnection of the Bangladesh nationals.

Recreating memories

Co-founded by Sparsh Ahuja from India, Sam Dalrymple, an Indian of British descent, and Sadia, a Pakistani national, the project is a tribute to the legacy of millions of refugees whose lives were changed overnight. The nationalities of Project Dastaan’s co-founders represent an interesting amalgamation of people deeply affected by the partition of India.

Their project has been facilitating virtual reconnections to the homes of partition survivors. About 50 percent of those interviewed have been able to see their childhood homes using VR technology. While attempts for all were made, the changed landscapes made it difficult, and impossible for other cases.

“One of the things we've learned throughout this entire journey is just how absurd it is that it takes a team of 30 volunteers spread across five different countries with the world's most cutting-edge technology to take back grandparents who literally live just across the border. To all the people out there watching this video we have just one message: In an ideal world a project like this shouldn't exist,” says Sparsh Ahuja in an interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxzNJ_5_9DI

The documentary filmmaker and founder of Project Dastaan, Sparsh is a 2020 National Geographic Explorer, the youngest-ever recipient of the CatchLight Fellowship. He graduated as a FitzRandolph Scholar in PPE at the University of Oxford. His debut film, Child of Empire, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2022, and his latest documentary short, Birdsong, screened at SXSW, Sundance London, Palm Springs ShortsFest, where it won Special Mention: Best Documentary Short and was shortlisted for the Grierson Award. It was later acquired by The Guardian.

Bringing past to present

Talking about the process that they use to reconnect partition survivors to their childhood homes, Sam Dalrymple who happens to be the son of British descent author William Dalrymple remarks, “We begin by interviewing the partition witnesses. We then get our cross-border volunteer network to track down the locations and try to find any areas which may have survived. A lot of the places have changed, both countries have industrialised massively since 1947. And yet there's always something which remains in each of these villages or towns. Wherever we have been, there's a mosque, a well, a mandir, maybe the neighbour's house that has survived. After this, we send our filming team out to recapture those areas.”

Like his co-founders Sam too has a deep connection with the subcontinent as many of his British ancestors were born, raised and died in India with their graves in different parts of the country. His book Shattered Lands: The Five Partitions of India 1935–1975, is due to be published in 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P88oFsv1FZ0

“We edit the filmed content into a full six-minute experience. This is then taken back to the original partition witness shown to them and then exhibited more broadly to the general public in order to educate about partition and about the stories of those who've survived it,” he explains.

Sam Dalrymple is the Co-Founder and COO of Project Dastaan. He graduated as a Sanskrit and Persian scholar from the University of Oxford, where he served as president and co-founder of the Oxford University Silk Road Society. He has worked with The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (a multibillion foundation), Turquoise Mountain and Vagaband. Sam speaks proficiently in Hindi and Urdu, and can converse in basic Farsi.

Inspired by the pains of their grandparents

“When my Nanu was just seven years old, he was forced to migrate from a small village in modern-day Pakistan called Bela, and moved to New Delhi. I'd see him in the corner of our house in Delhi, he'd be scribbling Urdu in his Diary and I’d ask him Nanu , you know how to write Urdu? " And he'd say, ‘yes, this is what we learnt at school but he'd close the diary quickly and would say ‘but now that time is gone,” shared Sparsh Ahuja.

It was during a coffee chat at Oxford University that Sparsh and his friend Ameena Malak from Pakistan exchanged their grandparents’ stories of Partition. They realised that their grandparents had travelled almost identical journeys in opposite directions, each yearning to go back home. However, due to wars, old age, and trauma, there were still too many barriers for either to return. This sparked the idea for Project Dastaan.

[caption id="attachment_53746" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Indian Culture | Project Dastaan | Global Indian From left to right: Sam Dalrymple, Sparsh Ahuja, Sadia Gardezi and Ameena Malak[/caption]

They brought their friends Sam Dalrymple and Saadia Gardezi who were studying at Oxford as well, on board and came up with the plan of a making sure every Partition survivor who they could find, would go home again, whether through virtual reality, video calls to locals who still remember them, or even an actual physical return, however difficult.

Across the border

Pakistan-origin Saadia Gardezi is the co-founder and creative lead of Project Dastaan. The illustrator and writer has worked as the Op-Ed editor for The Nation, one of Pakistan’s leading newspapers. Saadia graduated as an M.Phil. scholar in South Asian Studies, of the Weidenfeld Hoffmann Leadership Program at Oxford University. While pursuing Ph.D. at the University of Warwick she also works part-time as workshop facilitator and graduate tutor.

“We build bridges between India and Pakistan, and hope to educate people about the history and shared cultures of India and Pakistan through storytelling and films.

As Pakistan lead, I coordinate between volunteers and cultural heritage organisations in Pakistan, UK and India,” she mentions. For project Dastaan she has been deeply involved in researching partition stories and interviewing survivors.

[caption id="attachment_53753" align="aligncenter" width="803"] Indian Culture | Project Dastaan | Global Indian A still from the TIME's coverage of Project Dastaan[/caption]

“I have always had this sense of hankering of figuring out along that journey what changed, what took these communities that had been living for centuries together and turned them into enemies overnight. We wanted to go beyond just talking about the partition. We wanted to take these people back home,” says Sparsh.

Although they connected many people over phone calls, in this technological era virtual reality seemed the powerful solution to the yearning of partition survivors. “Old age and traumatic memories and the general fear linked to going back, still holds them back. Hundreds and thousands of people have not been able to go home (even after seven decades),” Sam remarks.

With the use of technological solutions, Sparsh, Sam, and Saadia are happy to help people of their grandparents’ generation cross borders. They are happy to turn their ‘crazy’ idea into reality.

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Reading Time: 5 mins