Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveHow tiny tech whiz Arijit Das’ AI & IoT projects have won awards

How tiny tech whiz Arijit Das’ AI & IoT projects have won awards

Written by: Ranjani Rajendra

(February 20, 2022) It was a fine summer evening when a 10-year-old Arijit Das and his friends came across a young man building a drone in their neighbourhood playground. The boys were fascinated. As they watched the drone soar into the sky, they were captivated. A kindly neighbour walked them through the basics, explained how he’d built the device and its components. As the young Durgapur resident headed home that evening, his thoughts were filled with the exciting possibilities technology provided. Soon, the self-taught tech whiz was building his own tech projects like a prosthetic limb using arduino and micro controllers.

The fields of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things interested him and this student at Hem Sheela Model School began racking up awards and achievements for his projects. From receiving the CSIR Innovation Award in 2021 to becoming the ambassador for Edge Impulse, a San Jose-based machine learning startup, 15-year-old Arijit has come a long way from being that fascinated little one on a Durgapur playground.

Arijit Das

The boy from Durgapur

Born in Durgapur to a physiotherapist father and a homemaker mother, technology was not always on Arijit’s mind. An only child, he was quite happy-go-lucky, till one day, he chanced upon the drone. “When we approached my neighbour, he was kind enough to explain the workings and makings of a drone. It was enough to have me hooked,” says Arijit, recalling the incident from five years ago which sparked his interest in tech. “I went home and ran a google search, and began learning about tech myself,” the tech whiz tells Global Indian.

Soon, Arijit was building his first project for a state level science fair; a modified version of the LiFi concept prototype which used infrared light emitters instead of traditional light bulbs in 2018. Ever since, he has been working on various AI and IoT based projects, and speaking at conferences. In 2019, Arijit built the prosthetic limb, using arduino and micro controllers for a science fair at school. It so happened, that a few NIT-Durgapur employees happened to visit the science fair, and walked away impressed by Arijit’s project. A few weeks later, the lad’s teacher received an email from NIT, inviting Arijit and his team to the college to showcase the project. “Those were our first steps forward,” says the lad, who also showcased the project at the Institute of Engineers India, Durgapur chapter, on National Energy Conservation Day.

Project Innovation for Arijit

“We got one more special chance to present our project at an international conference WEES 2020 organised by the National Institute of Technology Durgapur and RMIT Australia. We were even invited by CSIRO Australia to write a research paper on our project which would get published in one of their energy conservation journals,” says the tech whiz. But then COVID-19 struck and the ensuing disruptions put a spanner in the works.

Not one to be discouraged, Arijit decided to participate in a competition organised by UNDP in April 2020 for designing projects for COVID-19. “I presented them with an idea for a health band that helps both patients and doctors,” says the Stem student, who won the hardware winner category prize for which he was awarded hardware worth $1,000.

Surging ahead with ideas

Some of the other projects Arijit has worked on are an anti-theft system for vehicles for the China-US Young Maker Fair, which he won. In August 2021, he developed an AI-based smart pesticide detector and farming system which went on to win the Deep Learning Superheroes Challenge by Intel. Arijit was featured across many tweets by Intel India too. Awarded the prestigious CSIR Innovation Award for School Children by the Department of Science & Technology, is another feather in this youngster’s cap .

“One of the best outcomes of these is the fact that I’ve made some great friends along the way, and have even won a lot of hackathons with them,” says the tech whiz, who received an invitation from Edge Impulse, a San Jose-based ML startup to become a part of their team in November 2021. “Later that month I officially became a part of the Edge Impulse team to develop and manage communities for EmbeddedML. Seeing my work in 2021, I was also invited by Ira Feldman, managing director of tinyML Foundation to join their team and help spread the idea and knowledge of tinyML across Asia, which led to the formation of the tinyML India chapter that presently has 700 plus members.”

Quiz the youngster on why technology fascinates him, and he says, “I believe technology can solve a lot of global issues. It can truly help society and the community with its inventions.”

With board exams looming, Arijit’s tech projects are restricted to the weekends, after his studies. This young tech enthusiast who loves subjects like physics, math, and computer science, aims to pursue a degree in engineering and hopes to one day become a computer scientist. “My parents are very supportive and whenever I am in doubt, they’re my biggest cheerleaders,” says the youngster, who loves to spend time with friends in between all his passion projects, academics and guitar lessons.

Follow Arijit Das on LinkedIn.

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Published on 20, Feb 2022

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Teen innovator Varun Saikia’s AI-driven Makara rids water bodies of plastic

(March 1, 2022) The sight of a gasping pilot whale washed ashore in Thailand in 2018 left a 12-year-old Varun Saikia heartbroken. “I followed the news, and found that it died of starvation as her belly was full of plastic waste. It shook me. I knew I had to come up with a solution to help protect marine life,” Varun tells Global Indian in an interview, of the whale that had consumed 80 plastic bags. And he did. The 16-year-old innovated an AI-driven device Makara to clean polluted water bodies. It won him a special award at the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science 2021. His prototype also got a nod from the Gujarat Innovation Council, with a grant of Rs 1,86,000 to create a bigger prototype, set to be launched this year. [caption id="attachment_11605" align="aligncenter" width="649"] Varun Saikia with his AI device Makara[/caption] Understanding the workings of gadgets Born in Vadodra in 2005 to parents who own an advertising agency, Varun loved dismantling toys, especially remote-control ones. This inquisitiveness to understand its functioning led the teenager to become an inventor and innovator at a young age. “I used to pick things easily available at home, and come up

rn in Vadodra in 2005 to parents who own an advertising agency, Varun loved dismantling toys, especially remote-control ones. This inquisitiveness to understand its functioning led the teenager to become an inventor and innovator at a young age. “I used to pick things easily available at home, and come up with new ideas,” says the boy who at the age of eight made a water harvesting system using plastic bottles and pipe. Cutter in hand, he was always pottering on inventive ideas. This often invited the fury of his mother. “She was concerned about my safety, but she also always supported me in my innovations,” smiles Varun.

At 12, things took a serious turn with the news of a pilot whale on the shores of Thailand. “After a few days, the whale succumbed. The incident nudged me to come up with a solution,” says the Navrachana School student.

How Makara came to life

The Class 11 student knew he had to get rid of plastic waste that was making many species of fish extinct. He designed a low-cost machine that helps clean water bodies. “After discussing the problem with my mom, she encouraged me to work on the prototype which took three months. Post several trials, I came up with Makara, a fabricated prototype using plastic bottles that worked on a battery, and could be operated by remote control,” reveals Varun who conducted 11 test runs in local ponds and collected 33 kg plastic waste.

With each experiment and test run, Varun improvised the prototype. “Initially, I had added a basket at the tail of the prototype to gather waste. I soon realised that a lot of plastic waste is deeper. So I added a tail net that collected waste in a larger capacity,” adds Varun who pitched the idea to the Gujarat Innovation Council, and won a grant in December 2018.

In July 2019, Varun began working on the bigger model, Flipper, that's 20 feet in length, fully automated, and it can fish out 150 kg waste in one swoop. The teenager claims the innovation doesn’t affect marine life as the ultrasonic waves transmitted from its sensors keep fishes at bay. “Fish don’t come to the surface. The tail net bin is only 10 inches deep, and can be customised up to 1.5 ft depending on the water bodies,” says the young innovator, adding that floating waste is later segregated on land.

This passion for protecting the environment led to the launch of his startup Ocean Cleanerz in 2021. “After working on Makara and Flipper, I realised the need for a company that focuses on finding a sustainable solution to environmental problems,” says the teenager.

[caption id="attachment_11615" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Varun Saikia working on Makara[/caption]

Project Flipper bagged the IRIS 2021 award instituted by the American Meteorological Society, Massachusetts in the category of environmental engineering. “Because of Covid-19, the awards were held virtually. It feels great that my innovation is getting attention, and resonating with people,” adds the teen innovator.

Varun, who calls his mother Ruchira his mentor, has found a perfect support system in her. “She has always had faith in me. She funded my first prototype, that says a lot about her,” adds Varun, who is glad that his parents have been the wind beneath his wings. “I am grateful that they have allowed me to pursue my innovations,” says the boy who wants to study environmental engineering. “I want to get into MIT, and make a difference with my engineering,” adds Varun, who loves going on long walks with his dog.

Starting up as a teen

The teen innovator never misses a day to work on his startup, despite a tight study schedule. “I devote an hour each day to my work as I am passionate about it,” says Saikia who likes exploring tech websites and learning something new each day.

[caption id="attachment_11616" align="aligncenter" width="649"] Varun Saikia working on Flipper[/caption]

The boy who relentlessly follows up on his innovations, advises “never give up on any idea as someday it might materialise into something concrete.” He has been working on Flipper for two years, and is keen to launch it in the next few months. “I would want to use the device to clean lakes of every city and later help to clean river Ganga. Since my device is scalable, it can be used to clean the Indian Ocean too,” concludes the little visionary.

Follow Varun Saikia on Linkedin

Reading Time: 5 min

Syamantak Payra: The young scientist using technology to solve healthcare challenges

(July 29, 2022) Sitting on the sofa at home and helping his grandmother take dozens of medications every evening to treat her chronic asthma is one of the earliest memories that shaped Syamantak Payra's outlook on life and his desire to help. Desperate to help, he invented a makeshift breathing machine "out of some straws and balloons" at age four. "It was rudimentary and practically ineffectual, but it came from the same motivation that still drives me: I saw a problem, and I wanted to help," says the 2022 Hertz Foundation Fellow. From the same desire stemmed the idea of developing a knee brace that helped the inventor and researcher win the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award in 2016. "I want to help people. Whether that's by creating new biomedical technologies that will improve patients' prognoses, or through literacy outreach that will help create new opportunities for young students, I wish to use my capabilities in the ways that I will best be able to help empower others," he tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_20036" align="aligncenter" width="541"] Syamantak Payra[/caption] Curiosity, science and innovations Growing up in Houston, a stone's throw away from Johnson Space Centre - headquarter for many NASA

gncenter" width="541"] Syamantak Payra[/caption]

Curiosity, science and innovations

Growing up in Houston, a stone's throw away from Johnson Space Centre - headquarter for many NASA operations, Syamantak would spend endless afternoons enquiring about the workings of the world from his Bengali grandfather. Curious to know "why the colours in rainbows appeared in that order or how car engines and sewing machines worked or why leaves on trees didn’t all blow the same way", his inquisitiveness was embraced by his parents, grandparents, and later, teachers. As early as Grade one, he began completing his scientific projects which helped him tiptoe into the world of science "as a method of inquiry.” Over the years, it translated into a love for the subject and many scientific disciplines including "materials science and the physics of photovoltaic cells and biomedical engineering and robotics."

The following years of experimentation, discoveries, and innovations culminated in his first breakthrough in 2016 when the inventor won big at the Intel Science Fair for developing a knee brace that can help individuals partially disabled by polio to walk swiftly. For someone who always "wanted to help", he was inspired to take on the project after learning about his teacher's polio-led partial paralysis. "I was interested in robotics, and wanted to try to use robotics to help restore some of his capabilities: effectively creating a robotic leg brace that would allow him to walk with less effort and pain," says the inventor who revised and built his prototypes for over two years.

[caption id="attachment_20037" align="aligncenter" width="399"] Syamantak Payra showcasing one of his inventions[/caption]

The power of innovation to transform lives

With no prior experience in programming or biomechanics, the project was nothing short of a "self-guided crash course" for him. "I pored over hundreds of papers analysing prosthetics and anatomy, developed my data equipment and analysis methods, and had my teacher try on the prototypes to evaluate their functionality. My revised version of the robotic leg brace was able to restore nearly 99 percent of his knee mobility, and allowed him to walk with 33 percent less effort," adds the inventor.

As someone passionate about research, Syamantak is "excited about the potential for innovation and the power it holds to create transformative new technologies" to create positive impacts in the world. Keeping up with his quest to find solutions that create a ripple effect, he made some interesting innovations during his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology - one of which is digital fibers for electronic garments that can assist in diagnosing illnesses. Explaining his work in the MIT Fibres Group, he says that it has enabled them to "create polymer threads with microchips embedded within the fibers. These fibers can then be woven into fabrics that contain those microchips directly within the textile." A technology that took over four years to develop, he says, helps create fibers that are capable of sensing, computing, and communicating, such that worn garments will be better able to assist in monitoring, diagnosing, and treating health conditions.

The impactful work

The years at MIT turned out to be fruitful as he ended up making prototypes like temperature detecting shirts that could detect heatstroke and potential dehydration to making spacesuits that help improve astronauts' situational awareness and their safety on spacewalks. "The spacesuits worn for spacewalks must be pressurised against the vacuum of space; one side-effect is that if something touches or impacts the spacesuit, it is difficult for the astronaut to feel it. In addition, spacesuits are constantly bombarded by space dust, particles that can travel at thousands of kilometers per second and significantly damage textiles. By incorporating sensors and advanced electronics into the spacesuit construction, we can imitate different sensations and reproduce them on the skin," he beams with pride.

[caption id="attachment_20038" align="aligncenter" width="639"] Syamantak in a Nanotechnology class at MIT.[/caption]

Having walked the corridors of MIT for years and creating some stellar innovations, it holds a special place for Syamantak - as it not only honed his skills as an engineer and a scientist but also as a community leader. "Crucially, it's shown me how the most important part of engineering isn't the blueprints, it's the people: who will use something, how, and why." The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans recipient is now gearing up for a PhD in engineering at Stanford and aims to create "new biomedical technologies that can interface more closely with the body and help us address exactly those gaps in healthcare: difficult early diagnoses, complex monitoring in-vivo, and careful post-treatment care."

A community leader

But it isn't just his innovations through which Syamantak is creating ripples in society, his zeal for literacy and STEM has helped him extend help to the underserved children in Houston. A spelling bee champ through his middle school, he was keen to share his love for the language and started literacy workshops sharing spelling and vocabulary lessons to young students for which he received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for outstanding commitment to education twice. Moreover, he launched a STEM outreach program (CORES) at his high school called CORES which has now expanded to more under-resourced schools. "At MIT, I was also part of a group called DynaMIT; every year, we host a summer program aimed at helping underprivileged students in the Boston area gain exposure to STEM fields through experiments and activities that they wouldn’t have experienced within their schools."

This desire to make an impact helps Syamantak push the envelope with each of his innovations. Years of working in the field have come with their share of learning, and the one that has made the 21-year-old humble is that "part of the joy in scientific research is the discovery that comes from unexpected connections." The Bengali lad loves poetry, so much so that he spent hours learning Rabindranath Tagore's songs and poems while growing up, and is now a published poet. A strong believer in the power of music, Syamantak plays violin and piano, produces classical and modern music, and is an avid photographer. "I view the world through a camera lens: filming wide landscapes from aerial drones gives me a sense of perspective, and photographing minuscule wildflowers with a macro lens lets me connect intimately with the smallest details of nature," he says.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg0nk0g5EMk&t=111s

Having received many fellowships and awards including Hertz Foundation Fellowship, the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, the Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, and the Astronaut Foundation Scholarship, Syamantak feels grateful for them as they have been instrumental in supporting his academic pursuits by funding his studies, he says. However, for him, the ultimate validation would be to create a direct impact on the lives of people with his work. "If I can improve someone's quality of life, or aid a patient in their treatment or recovery, that is the most direct validation that I have been able to make a difference through my work," he signs off.

Follow Syamantak Payra on Linkedin

Reading Time: 6 min

Turning tradition into empowerment: How Smrithi uses terracotta jewellery to uplift rural women

(September 20, 2023) "In India, 58.5 million people are entrepreneurs and only 14 percent are women," says Smrithi, founder, Shika Creations. "I have always wanted to make an impact on society, that's what puts a smile on my face when I go to sleep at night. When someone tells us that they are leading a better life because of us, I do a little dance," laughs the mild-mannered entrepreneur, as she breaks into her trademark wide grin. The 23-year-old began making terracotta jewellery back in 2016, when she was only 15. She took the leap into entrepreneurship as a teenager, and founded Shika Creations, which now has a client base around the world, and through which Smrithi has helped women across India have their own livelihoods by training them in the art of making terracotta jewellery. In 2022, she placed third at the Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards. What's more, as she works to bring innovation into her product, the Global Indian hopes to promote this ancient art, with its rich heritage dating back thousands of years and showcase the relevance of Indian traditions in the modern-day demand for sustainable, eco-friendly fashion. [caption id="attachment_33167" align="aligncenter" width="764"] Smrithi S[/caption] Discovering an ancient

aption id="attachment_33167" align="aligncenter" width="764"] Smrithi S[/caption]

Discovering an ancient tradition

Terracotta jewellery has a rich and ancient history in India, tracing its origins all the way back to the Harappan civilisation. Terracotta, which literally means "baked earth" in Italian, is a type of earthenware clay that has been used for thousands of years in India for various purposes, including pottery, sculpture and jewellery. The tradition has continued over the centuries, with jewellery from West Bengal featuring intricate and delicate craftsmanship, while South Indian styles have vivid colours and robust designs.

Smrithi's first brush with the tradition came when she was in the ninth grade. Always passionate about the arts, she would try and learn something new every year, during her summer break. When she was 14, she attended a two-day workshop on terracotta jewellery making and found she enjoyed the process." Terracotta is made from natural clay and follows a four-step process. First, it is moulded into the desired shape and the design is created and left to dry. When it is dry, it is brittle and has to be baked, then painted," she explained. Smrithi continued to practice at home, and learning more about the tradition's rich history only sparked her passion more. She wondered if she could turn her hobby into a business idea.

Turning a hobby into a business

When she first floated the idea of entrepreneurship to her family, they worried for her. Raised in a fairly typical Tamilian household in Coimbatore, her father, a professor, believed in studying well to earn well, and entrepreneurship was too big of a risk. Smrithi pleaded with her dad, promising to giving up the business if her academics suffered. When she finally had his permission, Smrithi began small and approached a nearby crafts store asking them to stock her handmade terracotta jewellery. Again, the shop owner said she was too young, and didn't want to risk giving her a chance. She persisted, however, until he said yes.

Everyday, she would head to the store after school, to see if she had managed to sell anything. For weeks, she returned home disappointed. Her parents stood by her, however, and so did her college. "I sit with her everyday when she is working. If she is feeling low, I pull her up a bit," said Smrithi's mother proudly, in an interview. "She's a very responsible entrepreneur and wants to empower women," her father remarks. "We see her stressed often because balancing education and business is very difficult. But when she makes a plan she gets it done. She's a very hard worker and I hope that all her dreams come true."

Learning to thrive

Success did not come overnight and Smriti waited for weeks to see her first sale. "In the beginning I was following the prototype of traditional terracotta designs," Smrithi explains. "I was also making those products and there were lots of others like me. My products did not stand out and I faced a lot of problems." One setback, she realised, was in exactly this - seeing terracotta as completely traditional. "I started introducing more modern elements into my work," she says. "Metal jewellery was fashionable and also kundan stone. So I brought both those elements into my work, I blended metal and terracotta, kundan stone and terracotta." She even went onto create a full, traditional bridal set using terracotta.

In those early days, her products targetted only women. Smrithi knew she had to widen her customer base to keep her business sustainable. "I branched out into home decor, and started making wind chimes, fridge magnets, wall hangings and caricatures. I would even make customised terracotta portraits of people," she says. By this time, Smrithi was studying fashion technology at the PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore. When the lockdown was imposed due to the pandemic, Smrithi spent two months building up her stock. Orders had also begun pouring in from around the world - the US, UK, Singapore and Malaysia, apart from different parts of India.

Social impact

Smrithi first understood the social change she could bring about when she was approached by Bosch's social wing. "They conduct free workshops in villages, so I went to do hands on training for 15 women in rural areas," Smrithi says. "Now, these women are making jewellery and selling it on Instagram." During the pandemic, she continued to take lessons on terracotta jewellery making through Google Meet and Zoom.

Building a flourishing business and committing to making a social impact didn't mean Smrithi let her academic career go to seed. "She maintained a 9.13 CGPA throughout," said one of her teachers from college. It meant a busy schedule - "College began at 8.30 am and after that, I would come home, take a small nap and begin my day as an entrepreneur," Smrithi says. She also had to learn business lessons through experience, as nobody in her immediate family came from that background. "But I love arts and crafts and I want to make a social impact. That puts a smile on my face. Also, my parents and sister are pillars of support. Whenever I am down, they give me the courage to move forward."

Follow Shika Creations on Instagram and their website

A ‘voter-gait’ to create true democracy: Lawyer-activist Chaitanya Prabhu raps for rights

(April 1, 2022) In 2018 while searching the internet for a new (coloured) voter id, Chaitanya Prabhu discovered that all the processes to register and upgrade were simple and swift. Yet, enquiring if his friends had their new and improved voter id, he was shocked to learn that many had not even registered to vote, and thus were unaware of the simple online process. It left him flabbergasted. Determined to help his friends get a voter id done, he started a movement. “What started as a small action slowly took the shape of the Mark Your Presence campaign. By word of mouth the information spread, and many people started approaching me for their voter ids,” says Chaitanya in a conversation with Global Indian. The campaign evolved as a result of what people wanted. The need came from the masses and his movement gained impetus. It became so impactful that the Mumbai-based 23-year-old advocate at the Bombay High Court was awarded the UN India Award and Diana Award 2021 for his humanitarian efforts. For the then law student starting such a campaign in 2018, has reaped great rewards. [caption id="attachment_13871" align="aligncenter" width="617"] Chaitanya Prabhu, lawyer-activist, founder of Mark Your Presence[/caption] Lighting

13871" align="aligncenter" width="617"] Chaitanya Prabhu, lawyer-activist, founder of Mark Your Presence[/caption]

Lighting up young minds

His dedication didn’t escape the notice of the chief electoral officer, state election commission of Maharashtra and chief electoral officer of Delhi. They offered full support to Chaitanya’s non-profit and non-partisan organisation. Currently doing a master’s in public policy at St Xavier’s College, Chaitanya gained an insight into how policies are framed. The lawyer-activist addresses his two awards as “extreme light in the darkness.” Since he began, he has mobilised more than 26,000 youngsters to take their first steps towards being responsible citizens of a democracy. Today, Mark Your Presence has 430 volunteers, and 25 core team members.

[embed]https://twitter.com/chaitanyavotes/status/1409537501304217600?s=20&t=HTxDyXwfQFVfwJHAl_-FIA[/embed]

“Mark your Presence also offers a leadership fellowship, where we train young people (between 16 and 22) to take part in strengthening the Indian democratic system, and turn every institution into a voter-friendly campus. Selected after diligent screening, they become part of our forum - a certificate and letter of recommendation from the election commission of Maharashtra,” says Chaitanya.

An activist soul

The lawyer-activist has visited top schools and colleges in Mumbai and Delhi for seminars and speeches to empower the youth to become politically aware voters, and choose representatives well – echoing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “I want to reduce the huge gap that lies between the young population and the people’s representatives so they make informed choices to make our country leap ahead with the right leadership,” says Chaitanya who is also a national level athlete.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOcjO7U7dZY

Winning mantra

An athlete, winning is ingrained in him, and so is perseverance. His sporty side played a large role in shaping this young activist. “I might be seen as a young person with full access to the election commission of Maharashtra but that has come after four years of slogging to prove my mettle,” smiles the young activist, adding, “Wading through bureaucracy hasn’t been easy.”

The founder of Mark Your Presence has represented Maharashtra in track and field events (400 meters) at nationals, and has won DSO national, open national and AISM national championships.

[caption id="attachment_13876" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Chaitanya with his grand-father[/caption]

Incidentally, Chaitanya’s grandfather, MH Prabhu, who passed away a couple of months ago at the age of 101, has been his biggest inspiration. “He was a freedom fighter. My passion to make people aware of democracy and be conscious about their rights comes from him. Having grown up in his presence, it was impossible to remain untouched by the values he stood for, that led him to fight for our Independence; playing a crucial role in the nation’s history. I learned about rights from him,” says the doting grandson.

The extra mile…

“After having helped thousands register, I have come to see that it’s not enough. It led me to start educating the youth about the basics of the Constitution and how they cannot ignore their duty,” Chaitanya explains. Though he is compelled to admit that there is much more to be done.

His Youth Manifesto movement stems from this believe - to ignite young minds and encourage collaboration among long-time youth advocates, environmentalists, activists and emerging leaders. “We want the voices of the young people to be heard by those who matter,” Chaitanya remarks. Rampant discussion on topics that matter, Chaitanya helps these ideas reach changemakers. The team has been working on the manifesto for the past six months and expects it to be ready by May. The movement gained further momentum when Navya Naveli Nanda, the entrepreneur granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan, and Malhar Kamble, founder of Beach Please joined Chaitanya.

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His idea is that the youth manifesto reaches relevant ministries, BMC commissioner and CM of Maharashtra. From working on the ground, reaching slums, high-rises, he feels everyone wants their aspirations addressed, "We as voters are given manifestoes but not asked about ours. My idea is to involve youth in creating a list of expectations and putting it forward," he adds.

His larger aim is to increase the number of voter registrations, educate voters, and soar up the voter turnout. “I intend to keep scaling the initiatives,” says the idealist who inadvertently created micro-targeted campaigns like “art for right,” “rap for rights,” “speak for rights” and “she votes.” “Convincing is a difficult job, it requires patience but I never give up on this path of fighting unawareness,” Chaitanya signs off.

Follow Chaitanya Prabhu on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Shreya and Sahana Mantha: The Charlotte girls empowering single homeless mothers economically

(November 4, 2022) The last wish from their dying grandmother, who was then battling pancreatic cancer, played a catalyst for Charlotte residents Sherya Mantha and Sahana Mantha in starting Foundation for Girls (FFG) in 2014 - a nonprofit to help underprivileged girls and women. The journey into social service began early for the Mantha sisters who were raised by their mom to help those in need. "Our mom has always encouraged us to lead a purposeful life and carve our paths. She has helped us by being our brainstorming partner and always challenging us to overcome obstacles and continue forward," Shreya tells Global Indian. While FFG has impacted over 2500 homeless mothers and their girls through coaching, workshops, and care packs, it began with Shreya tutoring sex trafficking survivors and school dropouts when she was in Class 8. "Before FFG was established, every Friday evening, I was tutoring girls between the age of 13 and 15, in Math and English, along with my father. At the same time, Sahana and mom would ensure we had enough food for the girls, as it is hard to concentrate on an empty stomach. We would leave them with enough till we met them

ather. At the same time, Sahana and mom would ensure we had enough food for the girls, as it is hard to concentrate on an empty stomach. We would leave them with enough till we met them the following week. The most important thing our mom taught us was 'treat them as just regular girls your age, and barriers will break down,' and that has how it has always been. So, our foundational principles of inclusivity and equity have much to do with how we live and lead," adds the 21-year-old.

[caption id="attachment_23775" align="aligncenter" width="708"] Shreya and Sahana Mantha co-founded Foundation for Girls[/caption]

Being a teenager herself then, she learnt it takes time to gain the trust of girls who come from "traumatic backgrounds." However, Shreya says that "consistency, care, and communication play an important role" as the transformation journey isn't easy and takes a long time. "FFG invests in girls for the long term. This also means the allocation of a coaching team and resources to match the needs of every girl and child. Many of the participants of FFG were 13-14 years old when they joined, and now they are 18-19 years. Today more than 95 percent of the girls join FFG by referral," avers Shreya.

The calling

The Mantha sisters didn't have to look far for motivation as they found their role model in their mom. "She raised both my sister and me with warmth but also strength and determination. And that’s something we carry with us daily. She’s all about positivity and about doing good things for others and doing it every day. It’s not just a once-a-month thing or a once-in-a-while thing. When you do good for people, not only do you feel good but it’s impacting them in a good way too," says Shreya, who is a senior at Stanford University, adding, "More than anything, she raised us with really strong values."

[caption id="attachment_23781" align="aligncenter" width="666"] A group photo of FFG moms[/caption]

At the age of 13, Shreya began tutoring sex trafficking survivors and school dropouts in her hometown of Charlotte. The nudge to help the marginalised women and children came from the realisation that despite being one of the US's fastest-growing cities, Charlotte is at the bottom in terms of economic mobility. That's when she and her sister Sahana started exploring their community to understand the problem at the grassroots level, realising the challenges faced by the at-risk girls. "They are insufficiently prepared economically, educationally, and emotionally to support themselves. They have low incomes and experience economic hardships, particularly as many are disproportionately disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities," adds Shreya, who understood the importance of meeting the women's needs to improve their lives as well as help them become contributing members of society.

[caption id="attachment_23779" align="aligncenter" width="840"] Shreya and Sahana Mantha with FFG mother and daughter[/caption]

"Women who span the approximate ages of 15 to 26 are in a critical period of development, with long-lasting implications for their economic security, health, and well-being. Without deliberate action, however, this period of development is likely to magnify inequality, with lasting effects through adulthood. There needed to be intentional and thoughtful approaches to provide them with the resources, relationships and recommendations needed on their journey to independence," explains the Diana Award recipient, who launched Foundation for Girls to play its part in "empowering homeless single mothers to become financially savvy, digitally capable, career confident, and socially connected for multi-generational change."

Making an impact

Till now, the Mantha sisters have impacted over 2500 homeless single mothers and their children through Foundation for Girls, which now has nine chapters including California, Iowa, Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Maryland, and DC, under the leadership of Sahana, who is a sophomore in high school at Providence Day School. She dipped her toes into the world of social service eight years ago when she "sourced and provided fresh food for girls who were being tutored" and later moved to teaching digital skills to FFG participants.

[caption id="attachment_23780" align="aligncenter" width="785"] Sahana Mantha with FFG moms[/caption]

Currently, the 16-year-old works on the strategy aspect to "meet the ever-expanding needs of the FFG community to maximise the multi-generational impact." The implementation of FFG technological solutions during the pandemic, enabled girls from nine states to work with coaches, regardless of their geographic location. Moreover, the teenager leads the Circle of Care program wherein she looks into the sourcing and assembly of care packages that are delivered to the moms every week.

With a team of over 75 volunteer coaches and 150 plus volunteers, FFG coaches build bridges and human connections through one-on-one coaching for transformative impact and multi-generational change. With a mission to empower homeless single and support their children, FFG "invests in women to be financially savvy, career confident, digitally capable, and socially connected."

Every challenge is an opportunity

Shreya and Sahana, who have come a long way, call FFG a learning curve. Funding to setting partnerships in new states during expansion were some of the hurdles that they had to go through together. Since the girls were still in school, getting funds for FFG was a challenge. "Our parents gave us our seed money to get everything started. Later, we learned how to write grants and get funding," reminisces Shreya, adding that FFG currently raises money from corporate sponsorships, grants, community foundations, and family-based foundations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JsgLOFccoE

The Mantha sisters call every challenge an equal opportunity to learn. The hardships made them better at every step of the journey. "Persistence and the power of collaboration are key. Having the right team and values-aligned individuals have made the impact possible," add the changemakers for whom FFG will always be their way of giving back to the society. "We hope to continue to drive long-term systemic, sustainable change for homeless single mothers and their children," chimes in Sahana.

Though they share the same goal in terms of FFG, the Mantha sisters enjoy diverse interests. While Sahana, a competitive golfer, loves exploring new cuisines, her older sister loves "listening to podcasts, watching movies, and hiking."

The sisters, who are making an impact in society with FFG, say understanding the problems in the community and identifying your role in problem-solving is the first step towards making an impact. "Begin small and take small steps every day," says Shreya while Sahana signs off adding, "Identify your partners and build your team along the way."

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