Global Indianstory Bal Puraskar WinnersYoung Innovator Hemesh Chadalavada’s unique invention monitors Alzheimer patients

Young Innovator Hemesh Chadalavada’s unique invention monitors Alzheimer patients

Written by: Amrita Priya

(March 7, 2022) When Hyderabad boy 15-year-old Hemesh Chadalavada saw how disoriented his Alzheimer-suffering grandmother was, he felt helpless. The young innovator worked on a Stem-based app and wearable device that would not only monitor her movements, but also give families a respite from the endless worry.

I truly admire Hemesh Chadalavada’s sensitivity. Seeing his grandmother suffer from Alzheimer’s, he decided to work on a 'Smart Wristband’ that would help monitor aspects that relate to this disease. Congratulations on being conferred the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021! pic.twitter.com/ddBK5l6k8y

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2021

The young innovator received the Pradhan Mantri Rastriya Bal Shakti Puraskar 2021 for his unique invention. His device, Alpha Monitor, signals caregivers and family members when a patient wanders off, and also sends vital stats, thus helping in the care of such patients.

How concern led to innovation

“Alzheimer’s is similar to forgetfulness; it destroys memories and other brain functions. My grandmother is one amongst many suffering from the disease. A study reveals that every 30 seconds, one individual in the world develops symptoms of Alzheimer’s. This is a huge problem that I wanted to solve,” says the young innovator in a conversation with Global Indian.

Since aged six, Hemesh was captivated with the internet, “I remember watching many YouTube videos about arts and crafts. I used to put my learned skills into practice often. Soon, I started working on basic electronic projects like building electronic cars, fans, etc. By the time I was in my fifth grade, I learned coding and progressed onto more useful projects,” the young innovator explains.

Hemesh Chadalavada

His visits to his grandmother in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh opened his eyes to her struggles. “I realised that one of the biggest problems with my grandmother was that she used to wander off early morning or late at night, and the family and caregivers were left worried. We were fortunate that she didn’t get lost,” says the young innovator, who was intrigued enough to reach out to the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India. There, he came across a family that had been in search of a loved one, an Alzheimer’s patient, for the past 20 years. “It was sad, they had given up hope. I thought why not develop something that would impact people around me like my grandmother,” says the Hyderabad-based Stem aspirant. He then went on to create a device that gave doctors, caregivers and family real-time information on their loved ones.

Thinking differently

Alpha Monitor’s first prototype was a wrist band that detected a patient’s movements – whether asleep, standing or walking. “I spent the 2019 summer on building a prototype to test out the concept. It is different from other products in the market. Other devices have not integrated a sensor called a gyroscope which I have,” smiles the young innovator.

Hemesh with Governor of Telangana, Tamilisai Soundrarajan

“Existing devices are similar to a GPS tracker around the neck that patients can easily remove, and are prone to breakage. Some devices like doormats detect if a patient steps on it but are chunky, and can be bypassed. My innovation is based on an algorithm gyroscope model that reflects even if a person rolls on the bed, or places his hands on the floor. It alerts when the patient gets up, and starts wandering through a phone call, unlike just a phone alert, that other products offer,” adds the Jubilee Hills Public School student.

A health monitor too

As his grandmother required regular checkups, which were tough due to her uncontrolled movements, Hemesh’s remote healthcare system bridged a huge gap. Data related to her pulse, heartbeat etc could be sent to a doctor at intervals. “I developed an android app that the doctor could download which connected to the gyroscope device via bluetooth,” smiles the young innovator.

Hemesh Chadalavada

Initially, the device was a wristband. Experts at ARDSI suggested a coin-sized reduction and customisation so it could be used as a wrist or leg band, or pinned on. They loved his useful tech-based solution.

Recognitions and inspirations

The young innovator won at Ideate for India – out of 1,33,000 students, he was among 50 chosen. Recipient of the Macmillan Budding Scientist Award, the Bal Shakti Puraskar was most precious, “I am honoured to receive the award. It is special because it is a recognition from the government of India, which motivates me to do impactful work.”

Hemesh with Former Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad

Hemesh’s parents Kishore and Sandhya have been hugely encouraging. “They have been supportive throughout, even when I was working on my little arts and crafts projects in class 1,” he smiles. The Telangana State Innovation Cell serves as his role model, inspiring him to innovate. Hemesh is working on a startup – CreatoWise.com, a hub for YouTubers following in the footsteps of his BBA brother and homemaker mother who run a channel ‘Simplify Your Home with Sandhya’ with over 5 lakh subscribers.

Hemesh with his family

Internet, coding, and math are his passions. “Internet is a huge knowledge bank. People should not just be passive users but apply the knowledge. If one watches coding videos, they can be applied to gain knowledge in developing new projects. My favorite subject – math requires one to apply fundamentals. Since, I am not a fan of memorising, coding and building projects fit perfectly,” says Hemesh, who sees himself as an entrepreneur empowering the world with powerful innovations in the years to come.

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Published on 07, Mar 2022

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Diana Awardee Aditi Gera rose above toxicity to find sisterhood through Empowerette

(April 15, 2022) "All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me..," said legendary American animator, Walt Disney, on the many challenges he overcame on his journey to success. For the 21-year-old Aditi Gera, early life wasn't uncomplicated either. The founder of Empowerette, Aditi recalls dealing with her share of hardships in school. "We were all girls but there was a lack of support and immense toxicity, with people competing with each other," says she in a conversation with Global Indian. Her initiative to bridge gaps in accessibility and opportunity for young, marginalised girls led her to win Diana Award in 2020. She has also been recognised as Ashoka Young Changemaker, and has been conferred Lead Like a Girl fellowship from Shenomics. [caption id="attachment_15033" align="aligncenter" width="592"] Aditi Gera, founder, Empowerette[/caption] Rising above adversity "There was an air of negativity and the absence of empathy, not just among students but from the teachers as well," says the young changemaker. With Empowerette, she wants to establish a sense of sisterhood that she found sorely lacking. "Women should lift each other up, instead of pulling one another down," says she. Aditi saw many women being forced to

Aditi saw many women being forced to compromise on their ambitions and passions while remaining within the patriarchal and hierarchical societal structure that reigns in India. "My grandmother had roots in Pakistan. She came from an economically backward family with many siblings. She was married off at 12 and my grandfather was almost thrice her age," she mentions.

It was deeply disturbing when the youngster came to know about it. In contrast, at age 12, Aditi was playing state-level basketball. "It changed my perspective on how women are positioned in our society," she says.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Pdi5nyEuk[/embed]

The young changemaker describes her mother as a "highly intelligent, ambitious and smart woman. I have always looked up to her." She compromised on a career in the field of medicine in order to stay home and raise the kids. "To her, it seemed like a natural transition but I feel she could have done a lot more in her life."

Building a sisterhood

"A few years ago, I saw niece of my househelp being married off to a person who was nearly double her age. Clearly, things haven't changed much since my grandmother's time. It compelled me to start Empowerette," says the changemaker.

She and her team execute a one-on-one mentorship program enabling young girls in government schools to build their own identities and perceive themselves as leaders. "The programme is designed on a cohort-based model where we focus on developing leadership, confidence, communication and other career skill sets while paying attention to every individual's emotional well-being," Aditi explains.

Empowerette | Aditi Gera | Global Indian

After graduating as a finance major, Aditi has been working as a senior associate at Razorpay since the last four months. While enjoying the exposure at her maiden job, she devotes her weekends to Empowerette.

The empowerment journey

Aditi began Empowerette with four friends who were aligned with its vision. To carry forward the activities, they identified a government girls' school in their town, Ujjain. The pupils of this school are from rural areas and stay at the school hostel. However, convincing school authorities to believe in a bunch of nineteen-year-olds who wanted to add value to their students was an uphill task. The hostel warden, however, stepped up and made an effort to understand the intent behind their initiative. She also got the school management to agree to the proposal.

Today, Empowerette has grown to a team of seven, with plans to bring a couple of paid interns on board as well. All seven members have supported the cause as volunteers.

Mentoring young students

Empowerette is associated with two campuses catering to 120 girls in all. Around three hours every weekend are devoted to working with them. The process involves personality development with a focus on their leadership skills, improving communication skills and encouraging their curiosity and ability to dream.

The girls are taught societal norms and values to give them an informed vision so that they can contribute to society. They are also taught subjects like politics, healthcare, economic development and made aware of issues like climate change, and women's rights. "The girls themselves asked if they could be taught English, so we made that part of the Empowerette curriculum as well," Aditi says.

Motivation is key

"The idea is to maintain an engagement with these girls for as long as possible because changing a mindset takes time and cannot happen in a matter of weeks or even months," Aditi maintains. The team did not compromise on communication with the girls even during the pandemic. They conducted regular sessions over the phone to keep track of their growth and emotional well-being.

"Since the Empowerette team works voluntarily, keeping their excitement alive is paramount. The curiosity of the mentees also needs to be constantly stoked. Learning and developing new qualities is never easy considering the fact that the girls have been born into hardship. It's not a cakewalk to make them believe that the world is waiting for them," Aditi says, "If only they are able to present themselves to it."

On the personal front

Aditi wants to take up both business as well as social entrepreneurship in future. Her father, a businessman, is fully supportive of his daughter's dreams. The young changemaker also sees herself advocating for women's rights in the future and draws huge inspiration from women who have made a difference. “I really admire women in politics and those who have fought for the rights we now enjoy. One such person is Savitribai Phule. Girls in India are able to access basic education because she fought for these rights,” says the youngster.

[caption id="attachment_15036" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Aditi with her mother[/caption]

Aditi is an avid reader with a special inclination toward poetry by Tony Morrison, Mary Oliver, and the likes. With formal training in guitar and keyboard, she uses the instruments as a medium of rejuvenation. Though basketball has been her passion, a sudden interest in tennis is keeping her on toes, literally. In active support of a more equal world, Aditi is keen to take Empowerette to great heights by widening its reach.

Follow Aditi Gera on LinkedIn and Instagram

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Nebula Space Organisation: These students are building India’s first Gamma-Ray CubeSat to study black holes

(August 28, 2024) In 2021, at the age of 16, Snehadeep Kumar spent the lockdown trawling Discord, looking for like-minded people to join his space tech startup. At the time, the teenager's mission was to build the world's smallest telescope. Three years later, he has altered his goal, but his mission remains the same - to stay on the frontiers of cutting-edge space research. Snehadeep is the co-founder of the Nebula Space Organization, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, an Honorable Kentucky Colonel and a Young Member of the New York Academy of Sciences. The Nebula team is currently working on building India's first gamma base cube sat. Cubesats are a class of nanosatellites, usually measuring 10x10x10 cms. Now, the development of CubeSats is an industry unto itself, as they provide a cost-friendly platform for scientific investigations. "Satellites usually cost anywhere between $75 million. A CubeSat reduces costs by about 90 percent," Snehadeep tells Global Indian, holding up a model of a CubeSat to demonstrate. In 2010, ISRO launched the AstroSat, built with a budget of $50 million. The satellite, which was roughly the size of a room, was searching for gamma ray bursts to understand how black holes

, which was roughly the size of a room, was searching for gamma ray bursts to understand how black holes are formed. "Now, we're attempting to do the same thing with a CubeSat, which will cost only Rs 10 lakh," he explains.

The Nebula team has developed a proof of concept, which they have presented at ISRO. "We were one of two CubeSat based teams selected by ISRO for the National Space Science Symposium," Snehadeep says. They have also been selected to attend the International Astronautical Congress 2024, to be held in Italy this year.

[caption id="attachment_38992" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Snehadeep Kumar, co-founder, Nebula Space Organisation, is attempting to build the smallest CubeSat[/caption]

For over a decade, ISRO has been supportive of students in space tech, and welcomed their innovations. In 2010, ISRO launched STUDSAT, a CubeSat designed by students. The project had been conceptualised and executed by undergraduate students across the country. The picosatellite was launched on July 12, 2010, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. At the time, the objective was for students to get hands-on experience in space missions, and they were given autonomy with the design and fabrication of the picosatellite. It was also the smallest satellite launched indigenously by an Indian organization.

Growing Nebula

What started as an online group has come a long way. "When I started in October 2021, I had to work with an online team, but it's not possible to run a space tech startup that way," Snehadeep admits. At the time, they wanted to build the world’s smallest, functional space telescope, and were also studying the Milankovitch Cycles (changes in climate caused by the Earth’s movements).

His fortunes changed when he began his undergrad, at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar. There, he had the opportunity to build a team, and also met Mohit Kumar Nayak, who is the Managing Director of Nebula. "I have always wanted to explore space and space tech, since my childhood days when I would spend nights in my father's village in Odisha looking at the stars," says Mohit. Now, he's responsible for growing the business itself, and spends his time attending conferences and networking with potential investors.

"Nebula is in the growing phase, we have done the theory and the research and we are preparing for the assembling and manufacturing part," Mohit explains. Their aim is to begin building the protype in October 2024, which will go through three rounds of testing.

"The first round of testing is with a hydrogen balloon. Then the prototype will be sent to a private testing unit. The third phase is approaching bigger agencies who can deploy our satellite in outer space," Snehadeep explains.

When science caught his fancy

Snehadeep's talent for science surfaced early - by the age of eight, in fact. His parents, keen to stoke his curiosity, subscribed to several student newspapers like Times NIE, which he read cover to cover. “I would read about science and scientific experiments and be completely fascinated by it all, also films like Interstellar and Inception, and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet inspired me,” says the Indian teen scientist. His father works at SAIL, and his mother is a homemaker.

[caption id="attachment_38993" align="aligncenter" width="590"] The Nebula team[/caption]

In third grade, an astute science teacher at his school DAV Model School, Durgapur, Soma Ghosh, noticed Snehadeep’s inclinations and took it upon herself to encourage him. “She asked me to participate in a science competition - Intel IRIS,” says the lad who grew up in Durgapur, Bengal. With her help, he built a functioning electromagnetic circuit, connected to a bell. “She taught me how to conduct a project, and write about it,” he adds. In Class 9, another mentor, Sushmita Chandra, a science teacher, cemented his knowledge – he worked on three projects with her.

That year, he began looking into trapping excess water from the soil. “Roots don’t absorb all the water, so where does the rest go? Can we save it? I placed a device that comprised a filtration tank, and a containment tank - water goes into the container, then into the filter for purifying,” says the Indian teen scientist, of the filtration tank which contained moringa seeds, a natural purifier. “We tested the water, and it was fit to drink. SRM University funded the project. I also began thinking of publishing this in a journal,” he adds. Another project involved creating electricity out of carbon monoxide released from cars – creating a rechargeable hybrid battery.

The perils of publishing

Getting published is tough, the Indian teen scientist found out. He approached Nature.com and Scientific American, and was turned down. “I also learned that we need to pay to have our articles published. Besides, journals like Scientific American accept submissions only from PhD candidates, or people with undergraduate degrees,” the Indian teen scientist says.

By this time, Snehadeep was already in communication with some of the world’s top scientists - Dr Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London and the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft, who, “likes to chat with students. He would send me practice papers to solve,” smiles the Indian teen scientist, adding, “I have always been interacting with scientists, Nobel Laureates, to discuss problems in maths and physics."

Always on the lookout for new programmes to do, new things to learn, normal teen activities are much too passe for him. “I received an acceptance from the Oxford summer programme but won't be able to attend because of dates,” he mulls. The Indian teen scientist is also part of the Asteroid Search by Nasa’s Astronomers Without Borders, an initiative through which citizen scientists get the chance to make original astronomical discoveries.

Snehadeep's achievements:

Received a Rs 56 lakh scholarship from Lifology, to pursue a bachelor’s degree from select universities across the world.
Top 10 from India by Environcentre Foundation in 2021, for his project “Coagulated water filter and purifier.”
Silver medal in the SRM University Mission Invention. The country's biggest science fair
A Young Fellow of Harvard’s CYES. The Harvard's Entrepreneurship Society, with a very selective procedure
Immerse Education Cambridge Summer Camp in 2020 and Oxford Summer Camp in 2022
A young member of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences, which selects 1,000 students from over 2 million entries.

Follow Snehadeep Kumar on LinkedIn

The great Indian kickoff: Rising Indian footballers find a place in international leagues

(April 28, 2024) The craze of football is rising in India. Over the years, India has produced some amazing talent. Some got an opportunity to play in prominent foreign leagues, others got a glimpse of the big football leagues, albeit fleetingly. These upcoming Indian footballers have shown the roadmap to the kids of Gen X – to play in the big leagues in Europe or on foreign soil. Taking inspiration from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, these youngsters are taking the game to another level. As the Indian national football team prepares for the World Cup qualifier match, Global Indian takes a look at these elite footballers, who have played in foreign leagues and have inspired the future generation. Sarpreet Singh, 23, Bayern Munich Starting his football career at 10, New Zealand-born Sarpreet Singh is an attacking midfielder. He grew up playing for local club Onehunga Sports, and even represented Auckland at the Australian National Futsal Championships, winning the Most Valuable Player award. Born to Indian parents - a Sikh father and a Christian mother - in Auckland in 1999, Sarpreet has a brother and a sister, who are currently pursuing their degrees. Well-known among Indian football

their degrees. Well-known among Indian football fans, Sarpreet’s impressive performances attracted the attention of many top clubs.

[caption id="attachment_15141" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Sarpreet Singh[/caption]

At 21, Sarpreet became the first Indian-origin footballer to join Bundesliga, a professional association football league in Germany. Currently, he is playing for 2. Bundesliga club, on loan from Bayern Munich II, Sarpreet also represents the New Zealand national team. Although Sarpreet was on the bench for a few fixtures in 2020, after making a comeback, Sarpreet scored seven goals from 20 appearances and was the team's second-highest goal-scorer in the season.

While speaking to the press during a media interaction, Sarpreet had mentioned that he didn't believe it when he first received the news that Bayern Munich was interested in him. He expressed that it was a dream come true for him and he is learning as much as he is enjoying the game.

Ishan Pandita, 23, Lorca FC

Bengaluru lad, Ishan Pandita, created history by becoming the first Indian footballer to sign a professional contract with a Spanish La Liga club in 2016. Nicknamed as the Super Sub because of his ability to score late match-winning goals in the game, the 23-year-old Ishan Pandita has scored more than 80 per cent of his goals after the 75th minute.

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A post shared by Ishan Pandita (@_ishanpandita_)

Ishan signed a one-year deal with Tercera Division Club Lorca. He played 26 matches and scored six goals and was the top scorer for the club in the 2019–20 season. After spending a term of six years in various lower-division Spanish clubs, he returned to India and signed for FC Goa ahead of the Indian Super League in 2020-21. However, surprisingly, he joined Jamshedpur FC ahead of the 2021-22 Hero ISL.

As a teenager, Ishan shares that he was juggling between swimming and football. He believes it was his stint in Spain that helped him transform into a better footballer. During an interview, Ishan had shared that playing for the Spanish FC was a learning experience for him. The exposure and facilities there brought out the best in him.

Shubho Paul, 20, Bayern Munich

The first Indian footballer to get a place in the Bayern World Squad in Munich, 18-year-old Shubho Paul from West Bengal scored a total of eight goals in 11 games for the U17 national side in his international career, in 2021. The footballer, who until a few years ago played barefoot and reached the training grounds on a borrowed cycle, started his career at the age of 15.

Before bursting onto the senior squad, Paul was part of Minerva FC’s youth squad for whom he played in the AIFF Youth league scoring 14 goals in 11 appearances, and this performance paved his way into the first team of Minerva FC. His performance in the youth leagues also earned him a call up to the U-17 Indian national team.

The news of his call up to the World Squad was emotional for his elder brother, Raju Paul, who left football 10 years ago due to family’s financial constraints. During an interaction with the media, Shubho shared that his brother gave up on his dream and took up a job as his family couldn't afford both the sons playing football. Crediting his brother for his success on the field, he said that he only played cricket growing up, but his brother motivated him to think about football seriously, and took him to the coaches.

Ashiq Vithayathil, 25, CD Tablero

The Kerala-born 25-year-old defender left the country after earning a trial with Italian club A side AS Roma, where he played for the reserve team as a teenager. Currently playing for the Spanish side CD Tablero, Ashiq Vithayathil brushed shoulders with the likes of Edin Dzeko, Stephan El-Shaarawy and Francesco Totti in what was a "dream come true" moment.

Among the handful of Indians to play European football, Ashiq's teammates call him “Thiago.” The Indian footballer, who has had stints with clubs in Germany and Italy as well, did admit his desire to play for his home team, Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters. During an interview, he had said that his game has always been aggressive and attacking the opposition goal, just like that of Kerala Blasters. He added that his training and tough conditions have trained him well to play for Kerala.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Ayika Foundation: How two teens inspired over a million youth to join the climate action movement

(June 14, 2024) Litisha Bagadia and Siya Joshi, the co-founders of the Ayika Foundation, were busy brainstorming their next climate action movement. Their challenge, however, was much larger than simply getting people to show up and then go back home. They wanted to inspire them to do their bit for the earth, not just at a single event but everyday, in their own way. At the time, the FIFA World Cup was just around the corner. They wondered if they could host a football tournament, a fundraiser where all proceeds would go to a local animal shelter. This way, young people could attend a fun event, make new friends and donate to helping stray dogs. ‘Football for Fur’ received more registrations than they could handle. In fact, 'How do you keep people motivated,' was my first question to the teen founders, as they sat down for an interview with Global Indian. By making their events fun, relatable and interactive, they say, both on and off social media. It became one of their most successful events, along with the Ganpati festival cleanup where they collected over 200 kilos of flower waste which was subsequently turned into compost and natural dyes, an

collected over 200 kilos of flower waste which was subsequently turned into compost and natural dyes, an effort that fetched Litisha Bagadia the Diana Award in 2023.

"After a point, people start finding social work boring. We want to make it fun and interactive. With Football for Fur, people were doing something they love, for a good cause." The Ayika Foundation's mission is to empower young people to join the climate action movement on their own, and so far, their formula has worked like a dream. They have impacted around one million students across the world, with the foundation now operating chapters in Mumbai, Rajkot, Delhi and in J&K, as well as in New Jersey. Driven by the belief that climate action should be a way of life, the Ayika Foundation is also working to instill climate curriculums in schools in India and the US.

[caption id="attachment_38247" align="aligncenter" width="514"] Litisha Bagadia and Siya Joshi[/caption]

The Ayika Foundation

As classmates in Mumbai, Litish and Siya bonded from a young age over their love for climate activism. "It has been almost three years since we began our work," says Siya. "Even in 10th grade, we were really sure of what we wanted to do." What they wanted was to be part of the climate action movement - they were aware of the problems surrounding them. However, they soon found that even volunteering was a challenge. Organisations weren't open to taking on people who were so young. "We weren't seeing too many young people participating and we wanted to do so actively."

It pushed them to form the Ayika Foundation. The city's problems with pollution and waste management were clear to see and Litisha and Siya felt that youthful energy and innovation could be the answer. They began with looking for the perfect name before settling on 'Ayika', which they explain translates into 'environment'. "Branding was the first step - the name, the mission statement and the theme. However, since this was during the pandemic, the founder duo were very limited in terms of what they could do. "The lockdown was happening and Section 144 had been imposed as well, so we couldn't meet in groups of more than four people," Litisha recalls. "For the first few months we couldn't do anything in person. So we started creating awareness."

That meant social media. Siya, who wants to study design, leaned in on her skills to create reels along with Litisha. "We focussed on simple content that is also actionable, that people can do in their daily lives." They created awareness around Diwali and Holi, urging people to keep their celebrations eco-friendly.

[caption id="attachment_38248" align="aligncenter" width="586"] The Ayika Cup[/caption]

Making climate activism fun

Their first event, a clean up drive on Juhu beach in July 2022, saw about 80 people in attendance. "We used reels to connect with our audience," said Siya. "There are many ways to post but reels really bring people to your page." By this time, the Ayika Foundation had also built a small social media team, with one person handling content, another to make the reels and one more to post. "We wanted to make them fun and relatable. We did a compilation of volunteers picking up waste and a message saying, 'We can still try'," says Litisha.

They also used collaborations, and managed to bring Decathlon in as a sponsor. The company representatives came to an Ayika event and handed out vouchers to volunteers. As for the waste they collected on Juhu, they chose not to leave it in the dumpyard nearby. Instead, they worked with a recycling company and got it recycled.

On August 15, the Ayika Foundation did an e-collection drive. "We worked with two housing societies with about 500-600 residents and got around 50 kilos of e-waste recycled." They did not want this to be a one-time drive, so they installed bins at housing societies for people to leave their e-waste. "Our partner company comes back tot he society and picks it all up, so people living there actually use the bins," says Siya. This led to their 'eco-lift' initiative, where they collected waste from homes, mainly plastic, and got it recycled. The waste was eventually recycled into park or garden benches.

Then came Project Avigna, also one of their biggest events to date. Litisha and Siya and their team tied up with 30 different pandals during the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival and collected around 200 kilos of waste. This was divided into two, with one half handed over to a company that made natural dyes and the other half was turned into compost. This was followed by Football for Fur and even a day-long trek near Mumbai were proceeds were donated to a local animal shelter.

[caption id="attachment_38250" align="aligncenter" width="564"] The first cleanup at Juhu Beach[/caption]

The expansion plan

Led by a student volunteer, Aarav, the Ayika Foundation then spread its wings in New Jersey. "He goes to a public school in New Jersey and they have an environmental club, so we collaborated with them," says Litisha. Their first project in NJ is a climate action curriculum at a middle school there. "It's a critical thinking and activity based curriculum that will push people to think about practical ways in which they can contribute to the environment," Litisha explains. "So there are topics like recycling and waste management, which are made into fun learning modules for young people."

Every city has unique problems and Ayika does not want a one-size-fits-all solution. They now have a research team to study local issues for the various chapters to focus on. In New Jersey, waste management is a central focus and the team is currently doing a case study on recycling initiatives in the city. Public health and water pollution are also areas of interest and they are now coming up with a plan where students can suggest ideas to save local water bodies.

In Mumbai, Ayika Foundation is collaborating with a local NGO to spread awareness about the nalas in Dharavi. "We are in talks to educate slum dwellers to stop pollution their local nalas," says Litisha. "The idea is to create a behavioural change, rather than a one-time event." Week 1 will begin with the nala being cleared, and by week 4, they hope people would have been educated to stop throwing waste into it in the first place. "We are collaborating with an organisation which will help us mobilize the project but we will execute it ourselves," she explains.

Meanwhile, in Rajkot, they worked with a team of eighth and ninth grade students who did a project to make compost on their own. They brought biodegradable waste from their homes and educated others on how to make compost at home, successfully motivating young people to try it on their own. "Litisha and I went there a few months ago and visited various schools to bring our curriculum project there."

[caption id="attachment_38251" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Ayika Rajkot - Compost Making[/caption]

Local chapters are key, the co-founders agree. "We send a basic plan and our teams will develop it," they say. "They know their place best and it's very important to have support on ground." Their core team currently has 40 people working full time, and around 500-700 including the partner volunteers.

As they complete 12^th grade, Litisha intends to go abroad for her undergrad, while Siya aims to study at the BITS School of Design in Mumbai. “We don’t have a five year plan yet,” they say, adding, “But our two-year plan is to impact 50 million lives.”

Litisha Bagadia and Siya Joshi's Ayika Foundation creatively combines fun events with educational programs, leading to significant and sustained youth engagement in climate action. Their initiatives demonstrate that meaningful environmental change can be driven by innovative, youth-led efforts that focus on both community involvement and practical sustainability solutions.

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How artform torchbearer Hemlata Kabdwal’s intricate ‘Aipan’ restores the village craft

(March 29, 2022) Invoking good tidings is an inherent part of Indian culture. The oft-seen delicate rangoli motifs at entrances of homes add artistic ethos which sometimes lie forgotten. This native of Satoli, 12 km from Mukteshwar, saw this lack of regard for an indigenous artform called Aipan, and preserved it for future generations. Hemlata Kabdwal used to see her mother and elder sister delicately tracing Aipan, a ritualistic folk art of Uttarakhand. “Aipan is made at the entrance of every house on auspicious occasions, and festivals. Not content with the artform confined to just our region, I wanted to popularise it far and wide,” says Hemlata Kabdwal in an interview with Global Indian. Aipan is made by Kumaoni women at the entrance of their homes. The belief is that it invokes a divine power which brings about good fortune and deters evil akin to rangoli. [caption id="attachment_13674" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Hemlata Kabdwal, Aipan artist[/caption] Hemlata was listed in the Champion Book of World Records for creating the most aipan artifacts. The 22-year-old is also the recipient of the National Women Pride Award from Navbharat Rashtriya Gyanpeeth (2022), a charitable organisation. “Since we cannot showcase entrances of our homes and temples

obal Indian" width="626" height="724" /> Hemlata Kabdwal, Aipan artist[/caption]

Hemlata was listed in the Champion Book of World Records for creating the most aipan artifacts. The 22-year-old is also the recipient of the National Women Pride Award from Navbharat Rashtriya Gyanpeeth (2022), a charitable organisation.

“Since we cannot showcase entrances of our homes and temples to highlight the beauty of Aipan, I started experimenting on clothes, bags, diary covers, and key rings to share its beauty,” says the artform’s torchbearer.

Goodness on the way

The stars shone on Hemlata as owner Lokesh Lohani, Woodhouse Farm in Satoli, became captivated with her ideas. His space, a hub for tourists, was a perfect space for what he thought were Hemlata’s good intentions, to set up a gallery. Suddenly, the folk artiste was mesmerising tourists. Actor Manoj Bajpayee, playback singer, Maithili Thakur, and others visited Satoli, discovered Hemlata’s Aipan and were wonderstruck. “My work has a market in Delhi and Mumbai, and it has also reached former union minister, Prakash Javedkar who showered praise too,” smiles the artform torchbearer.

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A post shared by Aipan ki duniya🥰 (@hemlatakabdwal)

Social media played a big role too, and soon Aipan was being popularised on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Promoting it through training sessions on zoom, she has also conducted a free physical 10-day camp to teach the nuances of Aipan in her district - 70 eager participants joined in to learn. Revenue from orders via social media have been significant, and one particular month, she recalls clocking ₹64,000 too.

Family support played a big role

The class 12 science student slowly turned to a bachelor’s in fine arts despite her family’s initial unhappiness due to meagre career prospects. However, her agriculturist father (whom she lost four years ago) was the first to understand her inclination, and gradually her mother and three siblings followed. As her village didn’t have a college, Himani, as she is fondly called, moved 70 km away to Almora to study BFA. Now in her second-year master’s in fine arts, she says, “All young girls in my village are married off after 18. I am thankful to my family who gave significance to my education and also supported my career choice.” The artform torchbearer feels spreading the word about cultural ethos has more value than just earning money, “Money can come from other sources too, what is more important is to make the culture prosper.”

[caption id="attachment_13672" align="aligncenter" width="864"] Hemlata with her mother[/caption]

Aipan never takes a backseat

At Himani’s Almora college, she religiously devotes a couple of hours to Aipan. For her gallery at Satoli, her brothers pitch in during class, but soon, she ambles back to helm it. She never hesitates from spreading the word about her fine arts peers’ artworks to potential customers.

Good gestures have a special place

Hemlata beams recalling the first person who showed interest in her work while she was in school. The tourist even took her Aipan creations back. Chuffed at the idea of her craft getting its own identity across the country, Himani gave it free then. The next time the tourist visited, she was generously gifted colours and tools. Motivated, Aipan soon became her calling.

An online connect with Gattam Venkatesh, an artist from Vishakhapatnam who is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, led her to greener pastures. Venkatesh had approached her for an artwork for his studio, this chance association flourished into a mentorship - How to project oneself and publicise work. Her elder sister is a huge inspiration too.

Come what may…

Himani rues the fact that though her art is appreciated in Delhi and Mumbai, people in her own village take her achievements for granted. “The more they try to hush away my achievements, the more determined I become to take Aipan to greater heights,” chuckles Hemlata. Miffed that copies of her artworks are being sold by fly by night hawkers to tourists, the fact that she has been unable to copyright her art saddens her.

Of course, this also sullies her original work - her artwork priced at ₹8,000 was digitised and sold by a hawker at ₹1,800. “It’s easy to get my creations online, you just type ‘Hemlata,’ you’ll find me,” smiles the artform torchbearer.

Himani wants to do a PhD in fine arts, and dreams of becoming a lecturer. Her second love, animals, inspires her to set up animal rescue centres too. “I had an inclination towards performing in dramas but Aipan took over,” says the unapologetic folk artist.

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