Global Indianstory EnvironmentalistYoung environmentalist Sanju Soman is working on building model villages

Young environmentalist Sanju Soman is working on building model villages

Written by: Namrata Srivastava

(May 15, 2022) Back in 2012, a 19-year-old student based in Thiruvananthapuram started an NGO named SARSAS (Save A Rupee Spread a Smile), which aimed at encouraging charity and social work in youngsters. Almost a decade later, environmentalist Sanju was selected as one of the young climate leaders from India by the United Nations as part of their campaign ‘We the Change’, for his exceptional work, in 2021.

Sanju Soman

Currently, Sanju is tirelessly working on several environmental issues through his NGO Sustera Foundation, which drives collective action through capacity building training, campaigns and policy dialogues to equip communities to adapt better to climate disasters and climate change. “Change should happen now and at a very fast rate,” advocates Sanju, during an interview with Global Indian, adding, “During my college days, when I was working towards initiating SARSAS, I realised that there are a lot of youngsters who are ready to do social work but they are unable to do so, due to the lack of a proper platform.”

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A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Some of the major programmes that Sanju initiated in the last ten years are rainwater harvesting project in Malayinkeezhu, a drought-prone region in Kerala and Trivandrum, an annual charity run to raise funds for financially needy patients suffering from critical diseases. The environmentalist also undertook a 10-day cycling expedition, covering the Western Ghats from Mumbai to Bengaluru in early 2015.

A green panther

A native of Adoor in Kerala, Sanju grew up in Saudi Arabia, where his father worked as a laboratory technician. Although he was attending an excellent school, Sanju would eagerly wait for vacation time, when he would get to come to India. “Saudi back in the day had many restrictions. I was the only child, and didn’t have many friends. So, I felt lonely some times. However, back in India, I had several friends. My grandparents lived in a beautiful home, and I remember as a child I would visit paddy field with my grandfather, and loved exploring the village,” shares the environmentalist.

A childhood image of Sanju

His love for Kerala made him shift his base soon after finishing his class X in Saudi. “My last two years of schooling were awesome. I made so many friends, and was even involved the co-curricular activities at school,” says Sanju, who describes himself as an above average student. After finishing school, while other students were confused whether to pursue engineering or medicine, Sanju chose to study human psychology from SN College in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sanju during a workshop

However, it was during his graduation years that Sanju started getting involved in various voluntary organisations. “I started SARSAS in 2013, which turned out to be one of the largest youth-led NGOs in Trivandrum. The idea was to create a space for young people where they can share their thoughts and discuss about varied social issues, without any hesitations or fear of being judged,” shares the nature activist. Through their efforts, SARSAS raised around Rs 70 lakh over five years to support cancer patients, who were from vulnerable communities. The team also launched several social projects, which involved about 300 to 500 volunteers.

Creating a “model wetland village”

During his post-graduation in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS), the environmentalist joined the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) as a Research Intern in 2015, where he worked for two months. After he came back from Ladakh, Sanju joined the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and led the Habitat learning project in 2016. There he trained teachers and students of government schools near the Vembanad Lake in Kerala for a period of two years.

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“Vembanad lake is the second largest Ramsar wetland site in India and also one of the most diverse and flood-prone regions in Kerala. Realising the importance of the lake, we engaged with the villagers in teaching the students and teachers about climate change and the importance of habitat conservation with a focus on wetlands, especially the one that they live by,” Sanju explains. This work made him one of the 58 Global school ambassadors from across the world, chosen by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) to scale up SDG education in schools.

Women of Muhamma village working at the social innovation lab

It was around this time that Sanju started working on the concept of making a wetland village sustainable and self-sufficient. “Muhamma is a small village which is also part of the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar wetland site. While I was attending a panchayat meeting there, I learnt about the struggles of the fishing community people residing there, especially the women. They were talking about how the increasing plastic pollution was affecting their livelihoods. So, we developed a three-year plan to make the panchayat energy efficient, plastic-free, and also to improve the livelihood of people,” the environmentalist says.

Sanju, along with several other environmentalists. during an event

The programme was affected due to the COVID situation in the country, and the tasks are still a work-in-progress. “There have been drastic changes like reduced plastic consumption, increase in tree cover in the area and recovery of canals,” he says. To empower the ladies in the area, Sanju also set up a social innovation lab, through which Sustera trained over 150 women from the fishing communities on cloth upcycling. He was also part of an initiative to make Muhamma the first synthetic sanitary napkin-free village.

The road ahead

Along with his friends, Sanju started a social enterprise named BHAVA in 2018 to support those women making upcycled goods to sell their products in the market. They succeeded in providing a minimum wage of Rs 5,000 per month to around 40 women through this as an additional income. The environmentalist also launched one of the largest upcycling efforts in Kerala and converted around 30,000 kg of cloth waste into usable products.

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A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Simultaneously, Sanju founded Sustera Foundation, an NGO, to train youngsters in climate action, capacity building of local self-government institutions, and supporting climate entrepreneurs. The NGO has mentored over 70 entrepreneur teams over the past few years.

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A post shared by Sanju Soman (@sanju.changemaker)

Currently residing in London with his wife Sonu, Sanju works with World Institute of Sustainable Energy. His research centers on understanding and facilitating multi-level climate governance in Kerala. “I met Sonu while we were working at the ATREE and our ideologies matched. We didn’t want an extravagant wedding. Instead, we used the money kept for the wedding to help people in need during the pandemic. We also used some money to develop a Miyawaki forest in a small piece of land,” says the environmentalist, who is also managing Sustera with its new initiatives in Kerala like creating an ecosystem for green enterprises and eco-restoration.

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Published on 15, May 2022

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Tiya Madhavan: A passion for painting to create awareness

(February 22, 2024) Ever since she can recall, Tiya Madhavan has been sketching and painting. Now 18, she has received accolades for her original pieces, exhibited at various local and national galleries, started an art charity initiative, conducted art classes for senior citizens, and hopes to make the world a better place through creating works of art that inspire change. [caption id="attachment_36033" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Tiya at Carnegie Hall for the National Scholastic Art Competition Ceremony, 2022[/caption] The multi-talented Tiya is also an accomplished student, designer, ballet dancer, pianist [she won first place for a solo piano performance for the Illinois Music Association] and used to paint as a child, along with her older sister Sana. She says, "We were very hands-on, creating crafts together and painting. This is the one consistent hobby that has stuck with me." Art for a cause To hone her skills, her parents enrolled her for arts classes, but Tiya didn't attend them for long. She tells Global Indian, "I felt I was being restricted to a medium and a material; I had to paint what the teachers told me to. But I wanted to paint what I chose as subjects; deeper content and themes that

her for arts classes, but Tiya didn't attend them for long. She tells Global Indian, "I felt I was being restricted to a medium and a material; I had to paint what the teachers told me to. But I wanted to paint what I chose as subjects; deeper content and themes that conveyed an emotion. I stopped attending them as I could paint much better at my workstation at home."

As Tiya grew up, her interest in societal imperfections increased. She reveals, "I wanted to bring out social deformities through my art. Social justice, activism, feminism – I was drawn to all these subjects."

Tiya has always been committed to doing more with her art for the larger good. To support health workers through fund raising during the pandemic, Tiya, along with help from her father, set up a website artelligance.org. People could upload pictures they wanted to convert into paintings and Tiya would do the needful. She says, "I got several orders to paint family members, friends, pets … and I raised 1000 USD in profits, which was used to pay for meals for 375 health workers in India.”

However, academic pressure led to the shutting down of the website. However, she has plans of opening a new one where she would sell the prints of her work. “I have gotten several offers for my paintings but I have a strong connection with them so I plan to sell prints, not the originals.”

[caption id="attachment_36041" align="aligncenter" width="583"] The Optimist by Tiya Madhavan[/caption]

Painting for awareness

Speaking of her artworks, Tiya’s paintings are the kind that make you think. A young woman wearing a robe and carrying an umbrella patterned with white clouds, a blue sky and a rainbow; while behind her, the flood streets and buildings are painted in shades of black and grey is a significant one. Titled The Optimist, the piece represents the hope and optimism to look for in the face of darkness and uncertainty. The painting won the 2020 US Congressional Art Competition in the Sixth Congressional District in Illinois and was displayed at the US Congressional Office in Washington DC from July 2020 to July 2021.

Another called The Survivor has the face of a woman emerging from blackish water, trying to stay afloat. A self-portrait of a young Tiya with her sister titled Admiration, and other self-portraits like a piece called Living in Color where a paint brush is adding a strip of colour to her face which is in black and white make a lasting impression.

But the most striking and perhaps the one most representative of the time she painted it is that of an African-American woman, with a mask covering her mouth called The Mask of 2020. The mask is in the shape of two hands, with fingers inter-twined. It represents Covid and the Black Lives Matter movement. Tiya reveals that it was her interpretation of everything that was going wrong in the world at that time. “The Covid-19 pandemic was on; the Black Lives Matter movement was at its peak and I wanted to express my views on it through my art.”

She won the gold medal at the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards; as well as the American Visions Award, 2022, which is awarded to less than one percent of artists, for The Mask of 2020. The painting was displayed at the Downing Museum in Kentucky and the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa.

[caption id="attachment_36038" align="aligncenter" width="622"] The Mask 2020 by Tiya Madhavan[/caption]

Recalling the ceremony that she attended in New York for the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, she says, "We flew to New York to attend the ceremony at the Carnegie Hall. It was really nice because I got to meet some amazing artists and to see my piece up on the stage was a very nice experience."

Besides winning several awards, her paintings have been displayed at the Barrington White House, the Hinsdale Community House, and a local library in Barrington, a suburb of Chicago where Tiya grew up.

Tiya likes to work with all mediums – colour pencils to acrylic and oils. “Colour pencils help me make realistic details as hyper-realistic as I imagine. I spend time on social media and when I find something that inspires me or a problem that impacts me, it becomes part of my artwork. I want my themes to provoke emotions, because I am passionate about social justice.”

A colourful future

Currently, a freshman student, studying bio-medical engineering at the University of Michigan, Tiya hopes to take up a minor in arts to stay connected with her passion. She is also part of the design team for an art magazine at the University. “I am going to take a few art classes at Uni, start a new website which will be a gallery for people to buy prints of my work. I am hoping my career path allows me to use my art in STEM fields."

[caption id="attachment_36040" align="aligncenter" width="532"] Tiya at an exhibition for the US Congressional Art Competition in the 6th Congressional District IL, 2020[/caption]

Tiya is also a singer and was a member of her high school’s a cappella group and she loves to dance. “I plan to join a Bollywood dance team since I learnt ballet for a long time,” she adds.

From writing a book for children on the basics of drawing and painting when she was ten to having her artworks displayed in Government buildings before she was 18, speaks volumes for Tiya and her passion for art. One hopes to see more of this talented artist in the future.

How Tanishq Joshi danced his way from Indore to LA

(October 28, 2022) A dance career came through a twist of fate, when Tanishq Joshi met with an accident in his hometown in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It set in motion a new phase in Tanishq's life and since then, he has trained with choreographers like Devin Solomon, Samantha Caudle and Denzel Chisolm. In October 2022, Tanishq, or 'Taneesky', as he is known, became the first South Asian artiste to be signed by MSA (McDonalds/Selznick Associations). Now, the young dancer is among an elite group of global performers, including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown, all of whom have worked with MSA. Taneesky is already a well-known name, both in India and abroad, as the Global Indian has quite a list of achievements to his credit. He grew up in India and went on to train extensively in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. It has resulted in a unique style, a blend of western street techniques with Indian dance styles, that has allowed Tanishq to fit both with American and Indian audiences. Tanishq has performed as the lead dancer for Yo Yo Honey Singh and opened for the award-winning singer/rapper Pharrell Williams at the Something in the Water Music festival

pened for the award-winning singer/rapper Pharrell Williams at the Something in the Water Music festival in Virginia, before an audience of 100,000.

[caption id="attachment_23516" align="aligncenter" width="402"] Tanishq Joshi. Photo: Instagram[/caption]

From Indore to the United States

Growing up, Tanishq wanted to play soccer, like most boys his age. Although he showed a natural talent for dance, taking inspiration from Hritik Roshan and Ganesh Hegde to perform at school events, he never thought about it as a career. That changed when he was in the tenth grade. Tanishq was hit by a car, leaving him with multiple fractures in his left leg.

After a series of painful surgeries, which involved the insertion of metal rods and screws, Tanishq was put in an extended rehabilitation programme. "After a year of long recovery, I had been advised by the doctors to undergo physical therapy. Instead of signing up for a traditional physical therapy session, I joined a dance class in the area and that's where I discovered my passion for dance," Tanishq told VoyageLA. It was a slow, slow process. "In the beginning - and in a super-beginners'-level dance class, there was one step that took me three or four days to get," he told Dance Spirit.

A couple of years later, Tanishq moved to the United States to study Finance at Drexel University, where he had been awarded a full scholarship. "I even earned $25,000 from Live Mas Scholarship by the Taco Bell Foundation for showcasing my outstanding leadership in dance," he said.

Rising above challenges

Even with all the doors that had opened for him, life in the US was not easy. Tanishq devoted himself to training as much as possible, supporting himself with a 9 to 5, working at part-time gig as a barista in Starbucks and taking a full course load at university. It meant a packed schedule with half a dozen classes to attend, work hours till 10 pm and returning home to catch up with academics until midnight. Still, he would go out into the streets at night to freestyle, to choreograph and to learn.

Tanishq's hard work paid off when he was spotted by dance crew, Creative Reaction. Every weekend, he would hop on the bus from Philadelphia, where he lived, to New York city for classes on weekends. "My perseverance started paying off when I choreographed and danced for my team at World of Dance, Philadelphia and won second place," he said, in the interview with VoyageLA.

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However, his student visa prohibited him from working anywhere except the university itself. He was not allowed to earn money through dance. Instead, he hosted free classes, holding open sessions and putting out calls to dancers across the city. Tanishq wanted the dance circuit to know his name. And although his talent was appreciated, he was still stereotyped.

LA calling

When he arrived in LA, Tanishq had to deal with what is possibly another form of racism - the stereotype. "I was always seen as a good dancer 'for an Indian'," he says. "This notion bothered me until I started making this my strength." Instead of shunning his cultural heritage, Tanishq learned to lean into it. Now he teaches at some of LA's biggest dance studios but makes sure he fuses Bollywood music with Hip Hop or Popping.

"I'm challenging the stereotype in the baddest way I can," he remarks. "I'm proud to be an Indian and it runs through my veins." Indian he might be but Tanishq has found appeal among American audiences too, making a name for himself in the LA dance industries, starring in music videos and taking on other big projects. "I'm not just a really good dancer 'for an Indian'. I'm skilled and my craft speaks for itself. Period."

All this resulted in Tanishq developing a style that is uniquely his own. The boy who wanted to hide from the world - his culture, background, country and family - became his source of strength. He auditioned constantly for multiple agencies and failed to get into any. He learned then that it wasn't about skill, it was the fact that he wasn't 6'2, muscular black man. So, he leaned into who he was, rather than who he imagined himself to be and began dancing to Bollywood.

The entrepreneur

When he graduated from college, Tanishq decided to establish his own e-commerce business, Asha Creative, LLC, providing dance and choreography services to brands across platforms. The big brands came calling - "I worked as a choreographer and director for a social media ad campaign for Fanta," he said.

As his social media presence increased, Tanishq was invited to take classes and attend programmes around the world, including India, London and the Middle East. The pandemic hit around this time although he didn't let it get him down. "I trained at home and taught online via Zoom in multiple countries," he says. Tanishq's dance videos were reposted by superstars like Shakira, Missy Elliot and the Black-Eyed Peas. "I also became one of the first South Asians to teach at globally renowned dance studios like Tmilly TV, Snowglobe Perspective and the West Course Dance Theatre.

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‘Court’ing the Olympics: Tennis champ Shrivalli wants to bring home the gold

(April 14, 2022) Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty, who was crowned the national hardcourt tennis champion (women’s singles) 2021, was 11 when she first held a tennis racket in her hand. Calling herself an “accidental” tennis player, Shrivalli was introduced to the game at the Lal Bahadur stadium in Hyderabad. "I was just 11 years old and frankly, I only noticed the clothes of the kids who were playing at the stadium," laughs the 20-year-old tennis star during an interview with Global Indian. "I told my father that I wanted to play because I also wanted to wear those clothes," she adds. [caption id="attachment_15000" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Shrivalli Rashmikaa[/caption] However, Shrivalli has come a long way since then. The right-handed tennis star, who is currently doing her degree at St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad, has won numerous titles. The most recent was the ITF Women's (doubles) $15000 - 2022 held in Gurugram. She was also a semi-finalist at the ITF Women's (singles) $15000 - 2022, Ahmedabad. Making of a champion Born to two sports players - her father being a cricketer and mother a national-level basketball player - Shrivalli was always encouraged to play sports. "I was a very active child, mostly

$15000 - 2022 held in Gurugram. She was also a semi-finalist at the ITF Women's (singles) $15000 - 2022, Ahmedabad.

Making of a champion

Born to two sports players - her father being a cricketer and mother a national-level basketball player - Shrivalli was always encouraged to play sports. "I was a very active child, mostly because my parents were so into outdoor activities. My father especially is a sports freak. He encouraged me to pick up an extra-curricular activity in school," shares the tennis star, who is also a trained classical Carnatic singer.

While she took part in various sports, including swimming and roller skating, tennis was her 'one true love'. And once she started training, it did not take the coaches at the LB stadium much time to realise that Shrivalli was a gifted player.

[caption id="attachment_15017" align="aligncenter" width="579"] Shrivalli after winning a tournament[/caption]

"For the first year, I went to the stadium to just have fun. I was the most talkative kid in the stadium, who loved picking up balls more than hitting them," she laughs, adding, “But one day when my father had come to pick me up, one of the coaches asked him if I would like to take up the sport professionally. After coming home, my father posed the same question. In fact, I remember he warned me that it would be a tough journey. I was about 12 years old and didn't really understand what was so tough about playing tennis. So, I just said yes," the tennis player recalls.

Even as she worked hard to win every tournament, she did not forget to enjoy her childhood. Although she was a good student, she was also a trouble-maker in class. "I was a notorious student. Me and a few friends would bunk classes together. We would never leave the school premises, but we just would not attend the classes some times. Since I was very talkative, the teachers would sometimes even kick me out of the class. But I was a good student, my grades were really good. And I'd win gold in almost every tournament, so my teachers and principal were happy with me," smiles the tennis champ.

When the going gets tough

During her initial years, the tennis player won several medals, including the national title 2014-15, and under-18 petit camp open doubles in Mauritius in 2016. However, like every player she had to face some tough losses as well. While she recognised her potential as a player, Shrivalli learnt a lot from the matches she couldn't win.

[caption id="attachment_15018" align="aligncenter" width="690"] Shrivalli with her parents[/caption]

"I knew right from the beginning that I was able to do something extraordinary, something not everyone could do. As a junior, I wasn't much of a performing kid. So, I would constantly put pressure on myself to perform well. And when I didn't, the losses hit me very hard. Also, the other tennis players my age were performing really well, and I would inadvertently compare myself with them. In almost every tournament, even before the draw was out, I would freak out," shares the young player.

For two years, Shrivalli constantly struggled with these doubts which affected her game. Explaining how important it is to be mentally strong to win the games, the tennis player adds, "I did go to a psychologist subsequently and that helped me a lot. I started concentrating on my game more than the outcomes. So, as I moved towards my under-18s my game improved a lot." Her parents, Shrivalli says, were very supportive through her journey, and never once put pressure on her.

Olympic dreams

One of her biggest victories was defeating Rutuja Bhosale at the ITF $25K Pune R1 – 2021. That instilled a great deal of confidence in her. "I think all players feel nervous before a match. I do too. But I am confident now that I can play against, and defeat, any player," remarks Shrivalli, who is very inspired by Novak Djokovic.

[caption id="attachment_15019" align="aligncenter" width="772"] The tennis champion dreams of representing the country in Olympics[/caption]

Shrivalli dreams of representing India at the Olympics and works at her aspirations without compromise. Her day begins at 4.15 am and training continues for between five and six hours a day. And along the way, she hopes to win as many cups as she can for her country. “I will be participating in several upcoming national and international tournament. But a dream come true will be representing India at the Olympics and winning gold for the country," says the tennis star, who loves cooking or baking in her free time.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Anya Gupta: Protecting penguins and battling e-waste in Florida

(October 13, 2023) In 2022, Boca Raton, a city in Southern Palm Beach Country, Florida, announced that October 14 would be E-Waste Day. It was a triumph for Anya Gupta, the pre-teen environment advocate, and her efforts to protect the planet by addressing the elephant in the room – e-waste. Mayor Scott Singer passed the proclamation, helping Anya spread awareness about the harm caused by electronic waste on the environment. Anya has gathered over 1,000 pounds of electronic waste through her e-waste collection drives, ensuring that the e-waste generated by Boca Raton’s 100,000 inhabitants is reused or recycled, rather than ending up in a landfill. At just 12 years of age, Anya Gupta is creating a significant impact as a passionate champion with a mission to safeguard the environment. Her cause has inspired other cities in Florida, like Stuart and Miami Beach, which have also declared October 14 as Electronic Waste Recycling Day. “I realised that while pollution and plastic hazards are commonly discussed, the environmental threats from electronic waste aren’t. I want to add momentum in addressing the issue,” Anya remarked. [caption id="attachment_33525" align="aligncenter" width="442"] Anya Gupta[/caption] E-waste is not the only cause that Anya is concerned about. The

er" width="442"] Anya Gupta[/caption]

E-waste is not the only cause that Anya is concerned about. The young environmentalist is the founder of the non-profit ‘Pennies for Penguins' which she started with the purpose of ocean wildlife protection when she was barely five. This year, the author of three books has founded GLCS Youth Leadership Council and has been doing tremendous work for environmental conservation, earning awards and accolades along the way. One significant award that she earned in 2023 is the Everyday Young Hero Award by Youth Service America for her committment to finding her voice, taking an action and creating an impact in her community.

Pennies for Penguins

Anya’s town Boca Raton is famously centred around luxury beach culture. When Anya was just four, she developed an interest in ocean studies and learned about the environmental threats to her favourite animals – penguins, and started a non-profit to protect them. Her non-profit has successfully spearheaded the 'Cup Revolution' campaign, which is dedicated to combating plastic straw waste and has effectively engaged young people on a global scale.

Anya has been frequently organising community clean-up events in her nearby beaches and neighbourhoods. She inspires children of all age groups to take a similar initiative in their respective communities. “Cleaning up our planet is a collective global endeavour,” she believes.

[caption id="attachment_33521" align="aligncenter" width="569"] Anya Gupta, few years back[/caption]

Leveraging the power of youth

Anya collaborated with the Gumbo Limbo Nature Centre in Florida to establish a youth council with the aim of empowering local children to engage in conversations about the environmental issues that are important to them, and to coordinate events that raise awareness about these matters. As the founder and president she makes all efforts to leverage the power of youth volunteers to achieve the council’s goals.

Since its inception this year the youth council has done impactful work leading to praise by many including John Holloway, the president of Coastal Stewards who remarked that the solutions of the future are rooted in the experiences and values held by young individuals like Anya and her team.

Love for words and causes

So deep is her interest in the cause of ocean conservation that the eight grader has authored three children's books on the topic. The narrative of her latest book revolves around a penguin family experiencing the consequences of toxic runoff from electronic waste contaminating the fish they rely on for food. This story serves as a lesson for children to learn about interconnectedness of living beings and the significance of responsible waste disposal.

The youngster, who is passionate about penguins, climate change and human impact, works tirelessly to find resolutions to conflicts between modern lifestyles of humans and the conducive environment required by ocean animals.

[caption id="attachment_33523" align="aligncenter" width="556"] Cover image of Anya's latest book[/caption]

“When we throw away used electronic products, it ends up in the landfills and then when it rains, toxic chemicals from the e-waste find their way to our oceans and seep into the water. I work to ensure that all our e-waste ends up in the right place and not in the landfills,” she remarked.

Awards and accolades

This year the president of Youth Service America recognised Anya as the ‘Youth Service America Everyday Young Hero’ for her commitment to take action and make an impact in the community.

Anya also achieved recognition in the 2023 Regional Science Fair, earning two special awards and one placement award for her project, which delved into the effects of electronic waste on the survival rates of Daphnia magna, a commonly studied zooplankton species.

She secured second place in the Environmental Sciences Category overall and garnered an Honourable Mention for the Pollution Prevention Coalition of Palm Beach County award.

Anya was also selected as one of the top 300 Junior Innovators, and was one of the only seven representatives from Florida for her project submission in the 2023 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge organised by the Society for Science.

In the National Toshiba NTSA Exploravision Science Competition 2021, Anya was selected as one of the 24 regional winners for problem solving through STEM. She went on to secure second position in the national round winning a $5,000 scholarship for her college education, a chrome book and a banner for her school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOAhpd3N7PU

As part of the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit (YOCS) grant recipient the young ocean steward was provided assistance with tools and resources to fund her own conservation project within her community.

In 2020, the young environmentalist won the Youth Environmental Excellence Award by SeaWorld & Busch Gardens in recognition of her environmental conservation work. As part of the award Anya had got the opportunity to spend an entire weekend exploring the behind-the-scenes experience, hosted by SeaWorld's conservation team. “The best part of it was that they had even arranged a penguin for me to pet,” she remarked.

The youngster loves reading, dancing, singing, music, and cooking. But what’s most important to her is her passion for advocating for the environment and ocean wildlife that are in need of persistent safeguarding.

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To know more about Anya's initiatives visit Pennies for Penguin's website

Reading Time: 5 mins

Prerana Manoj: Honoured among Canada’s Top 100 Women for STEM innovation

(May 29, 2024) Emphasising the meaning of her name, which reflects her purpose, she explains, “Prerana translates to 'inspiration' in Sanskrit, and it summarises my mission - to be inspired and to inspire others.” True to her name, she is an inspiration to girls in STEM and AI innovation. The Thrissur native was named one of the ‘Top 100 Women in Canada’ in 2023 by the Women’s Executive Network of Canada. “At 16, I was the youngest of the 2023 winners. I was privileged enough to meet with the honourable Princess Sarah Culberson of Sierra Leone at the award ceremony, and I shared my journey of innovation with her,” Prerana tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_38019" align="aligncenter" width="492"] Prerana Manoj with Top 100 Women in Canada Award[/caption] With one of her best friends, Diane Gui, Prerana is co-developing Project HeartScope, a collection of machine learning models designed for the accurate and efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and conditions. “We were also privileged and grateful to have received the opportunity to share our project and vision as finalists of Team Canada for the global competition, Technovation Girls. We presented it on the grand stage at Synopsys, San Francisco, alongside teams from India,

ght: 400;">With one of her best friends, Diane Gui, Prerana is co-developing Project HeartScope, a collection of machine learning models designed for the accurate and efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and conditions. “We were also privileged and grateful to have received the opportunity to share our project and vision as finalists of Team Canada for the global competition, Technovation Girls. We presented it on the grand stage at Synopsys, San Francisco, alongside teams from India, Brazil, Uzbekistan, and others,” she shares. The project was selected for the Technovation Girls Global Competition 2023 in San Francisco from over 2,000 teams.

Project HeartScope

When Prerana moved to Toronto with her parents, the city’s vibrant atmosphere reminded her of her native Bengaluru. This move played an integral role in developing her fascination with STEM and other fields. “In Toronto, I developed a growing interest in business and technology and learned about transformational emerging technologies such as AI, which have significant potential to make waves in industries worldwide,” she shares.

In the new city, she made friends with Diane and learned about health leader Osei Kwadbo Boateng and his non-profit, The OKB Hope Foundation. The foundation works towards providing healthcare services for underserved communities. Inspired by his passionate work, the friends became interested in finding ways to build tech-based solutions for low-income communities.

[caption id="attachment_38020" align="aligncenter" width="752"] Prerana Manoj with Project HeartScope cofounder Diane Gui[/caption]

Soon, they founded Project HeartScope for efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. “Currently, the model is capable of diagnosing cardiomegaly using binary classification and transfer learning techniques,” shares Prerana adding, “Project HeartScope has been featured at the Johns Hopkins Global Health Conference as well”.

Realising the increasing gap in experts in the healthcare industry, especially for cardiologists, Prerana and Diane wanted to experiment to see whether they could develop a model that could detect the presence of cardiomegaly (a heart condition) based on X-ray scan images. “Although still a work in progress for accuracy and general development, as beginners in the area of Artificial Intelligence, we found our small wins to be significant milestones in the greater journey ahead,” Prerana remarks.

Research work at Ontario Tech University

Earlier in 2023, Prerana joined the EILab at Ontario Tech University under the supervision of Dr Roland VanOostveen to work on a specialised research project to analyse the affective domain in the online learning environment.

“I worked on coding analyses of online discussions and deciphering the relations and connections between various forms of body language, facial expressions, and gestures to provide greater insight into online learning experiences. The paper is currently being submitted and will be published soon,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_38025" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Prerana and Diane presenting Project HeartScope at TikTok Office for Canada Learning Code's Demo Day Challenge[/caption]

Laurels in STEM

Prerana has always been full of ideas and dedicated to turning them into reality for the good of society. In 2021 the youngster was given the opportunity to present her start-up idea, the P. A Shield, aimed at improving water conservation efforts in Canadian households at Dragons Den (a reality TV show where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business concepts and products to a panel of Canadian business moguls). At the end of her pitch, she received a shared investment of $25K from the investors.

“My inspiration for the P. A Shield came from learning about the water crisis in grade 7 geography. I realised that although spreading awareness is very important, taking action can lead to active results. As a 13-year-old with little experience in technology or business, I joined a start-up accelerator for high school students called Start-up Dojo to learn about how to start my own idea,” she shares.

[caption id="attachment_38024" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Prerana Manoj at the Dragons Den platform[/caption]

After experimenting with circuits and learning about business along the way, she got encouraged to apply her idea to Dragons Den. “Although it took quite a bit of motivation, I realised that there was no harm in sharing my idea and so I submitted it. I remembered being shocked to hear back for an interview for stage two, and ultimately receiving the offer to pitch. It was truly a surreal moment, and I will be forever grateful to the wonderful producers, staff and the Dragons for making it a transformative experience in my journey of innovation. At 14, receiving an offer on the grand stage is a moment I can never forget,” she says.Although Prerana’s passion for the water crisis persists, she decided not to pursue the deal channelling all her focus on emerging technologies such as AI and immersing herself in new opportunities of innovation that come her way.

From Bengaluru to Canada

Prerna did her schooling from Bengaluru. “The city along with my homeplace, Thrissur, Kerala, has profoundly shaped my identity and who I am today,” she mentions.

Prerna moved to Calgary, Canada as a grade three student when her parents went there for work. In Calgary, she was exposed to a new culture and later discovered a passion for chess, debate, and public speaking. “I spent most of my middle school years attending summer stampedes and ice skating during the winter in Lake Louis, Banff. As life was settling in, along came an opportunity to journey further eastward to Canada’s largest city and growing start-up hub, Toronto,” she tells.

[caption id="attachment_38021" align="aligncenter" width="507"] Prerana Manoj with Princess Sarah Culberson of Sierra Leone at the WXN event[/caption]

Currently a junior at Bishop Allen Academy, Etobicoke, the teenager aspires to make a positive impact on those around her. “I'll go where my journey takes me, and I hope to make a difference for each milestone I achieve,” she signs off.

Wearing multiple hats

In her free time, Prerana usually plays chess. “It's been my favourite hobby since I was eight. I also enjoy writing,” she says. Prerana is associated as a managing director of personal growth with an online publication - The Teen Magazine founded by Harvard alum, Mia Johansson. She also runs her own newsletter, 'I am Prerana'.

“Honestly, when it comes to managing my school work and projects, I usually prioritise based on the time of the year. Junior year hasn't been the kindest in giving me free time, but my weekends usually lend those hours to me,” she signs off.

[caption id="attachment_38026" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Prerana Manoj during an edge walk[/caption]

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