Oyon Ganguly: Indian American teen’s attempt to conserve and reuse water
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(April 12, 2023) It was the viral ALS ice-bucket challenge – wherein participants dump buckets of cold water on each other’s heads – that made the then nine-year-old Oyon Ganguly come up with an idea of a water-recycling device as he was surprised by the terrible waste of water. 10-minute shower wastes 50 gallons of water – this piece of information was enough for this Indian American to come up with The Cleaner – a water recycling prototype that filters water to be re-used in the shower. The invention won this Massachusetts resident Invention Mighty Minds contest, a national-level contest run jointly by the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) which acts as America’s platform for budding young inventors.
“I asked my mom how much water is used in a single shower and I learned that around 50 gallons of water is used in a single use. Multiply that by five people taking 20-minute showers, that’s around 500 gallons,” he said in a YouTube video. This was enough for him to come up with a device that could recycle and reuse water that drains away during a shower. His invention was made inside a strawberry box that held three layers of cleaning material–gravel, sand, and charcoal.
Explaining how his invention works, the Global Indian said in an interview, “When someone takes a shower, the water goes down the drain and through the pipe before it reaches a filter with three layers: gravel, sand, and charcoal. The water, which is now clean and filtered, sits in a storage tank before it gets pumped back up to the bathtub. Because over time, the filter gets clogged, there will be a little door to make sure you get access to the filter.”
The grandson of Bengali novelist and Sahitya Akademi award-winner Sunil Gangopadhyay, Oyon took the help of his friend Mateo Rosado for the filtering process. Oyon reveals that his invention can save both water and money. “Even though the invention can be expensive, it saves the government from spending more money to get water and also reduced your water bill,” he explained in the video.
He credits his mother for making him participate in the Mighty Minds competition. “I went to Camp Invention in Watertown. We build things with recycled materials and my shower model was built mostly with recycled stuff. I spent an hour over two weekends putting together the presentation,” he said.
Oyon has worked on another invention idea – The Space Cleaner – a solar-powered robot with one arm that melts space junk and the other arm vacuums up the melted liquid. The idea for this came to him while watching Apollo 13 with his parents. The Indian American thought to himself, “What happens to everything that’s flying off the ship into space?”
He plans to be one of the three things when he grows up – an inventor, work at Lego, or for Mojang (the company that develops the video game Minecraft).
(April 13, 2024) "Are there any fishes in the water?" or "What's the depth of the water" were some of the questions that a curious 9-year-old scuba diver and eco-crusader Tharaagai Aarathana asked her father Aravind Tharunsri before starting to swim across the Palk Strait in the beautiful morning of April 3, 2024 at Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. Having waited out for 1.5 hours for the wind to calm down, she along with her dad and cousin Nishvik were ready to take the plunge in the calming water of the ocean. "I am comfortable with deep water, otherwise I get scared to jump into the water as you can touch the sea floor," smiles Tharaagai as she connects with Global Indian. Swim across the Palk Strait It's the first time that a father-daughter duo has swam across the Palk Strait together, clocking an impressive time of 11 hours and 30 minutes and securing a place in Assist World Records. However, their motivation transcends mere record-breaking; their swim is for a bigger purpose - to raise awareness about ocean pollution and environment conservation. Tharaagai was only three when she began accompanying her father to weekly beach cleanups and soon learnt about
urs and 30 minutes and securing a place in Assist World Records. However, their motivation transcends mere record-breaking; their swim is for a bigger purpose - to raise awareness about ocean pollution and environment conservation. Tharaagai was only three when she began accompanying her father to weekly beach cleanups and soon learnt about ocean pollution, leading her to take charge as an eco-crusader. Even during the 30-km long stretch between Talaimannar in Sri Lanka and Dhanuskodi in Tamil Nadu, the trio remained committed to their cause, gathering 6 kgs of plastic waste. "Every piece of plastic we spotted floating on the ocean's surface, we made sure to retrieve and stow away in the boat," recalls Tharaagai.
Enduring nearly 12 hours in the water is no easy feat, especially for a nine-year-old who was accompanied by her seven-year-old cousin Nishvik. "I have been swimming since I was three. All these years of water adaptation have helped me stay put for a very long time. With each challenge, I push outside my comfort zone and that's what I did with the Palk Strait swim too. At times, we have to face strong currents or daunting waves but we adapt to the challenges and face them," smiles the eco-crusader.
The 30-km swim
The journey began from Dhanuskodi after getting clearance from both the Indian and Sri Lankan governments. "We boarded a mother boat in the afternoon of April 2 to reach Talaimannar in four hours. The big boat provides essential amenities like beds, food, and restroom facilities. It also carries the support crew consisting of doctors, physiotherapists, and their assistants, two support swimmers, and a kayak," reveals Aravind, who is a scuba diving instructor. To ensure their safety, they were accompanied by a mother boat, a rescue boat, a backup boat, and a kayak.
Starting in the wee hours of April 3, Aravind, Tharaagai, and Nishvik, who were waiting for the weather to clear out, braced themselves for a long day ahead. "It's a non-stop journey without any breaks," explains Aravind, adding, "You can drink water or eat a banana or dates or nuts from the accompanying kayak." However, setting off before dawn had its perks as they had the opportunity to witness bioluminescence, (emission of light by living organisms), which captivated the two kids. "That's one of the things we love about night swimming," smiles the girl.
[caption id="attachment_37127" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Swimming across the Palk Strait[/caption]
Given their years of swimming experience, the duo didn't undergo any special preparation for the 30km swim. "We have been constantly swimming and gymming - for stretching to avoid any cramps during swimming along with some cardio," reveals Aravind for whom mental fortitude was equally important as he recognised the unpredictability of the ocean.
With decades of scuba diving experience under his belt, Aravind felt relatively prepared for the challenges. "Throughout the swim, I kept the kids motivated by engaging in small talk or plays so that they don't fell the fatigue. I kept them distracted so that they dwell on how far is the finishing line," he laughs. However, the final four hours proved to be the most challenging as they had to swim against the current. "If we stop swimming, the current would push us back. So, we kept moving forward despite the strong current," adds Tharaagai, who was welcomed by a cheering crowd at Dhanuskodi.
Swim for a cause
Aravind calls himself "a proud father" seeing his daughter create an impact as an eco-crusader. "Till now, she has collected 2000 kg of plastic waste from ocean and beaches," beams Aravind, adding, "More kids are getting inspired and joining us for future adventures to create awareness. The idea is that if my daughter can do it, everyone can do it." Aravind firmly believes that the future generation has the power to create change. "If we ask the government to stop manufacturing plastic bottles, it won't happen. But these young kids are witnessing the harmful effects of single-use plastic on the environment. In the future, one of them would ascend to positions of influence - be it Chief Minister, Prime Minister, or Forest Officer. That's when these efforts will truly matter," says Aravind.
An eco-crusader
The Chennai girl's love for water is a gift from her father who started adapting her to water when she was all of three days old. By the time, she was nine months old, she began floating and in the next two years, she was swimming like a pro. Her bond with water kept strengthening with each passing day, and at the age of five, she started training for scuba diving in shallow water.
[caption id="attachment_37128" align="aligncenter" width="562"] Aravind with daughter Tharaagai[/caption]
Growing up near the sea made her aware of the marine pollution and the plastic menace on the beaches. At a young age, she understood "how plastic and abandoned nets were adding to the pollution and affecting marine life." With some hand-holding by her father, she sat through awareness programs and training, absorbing every bit of information about endangered marine species, especially the Dugong (sea cow). "With 150 dugongs left in India, she decided to save them from plastic pollution. She is creating awareness among kids through presentations in various schools," says Aravind, who founded South India's first-ever scuba diving center Temple Adventures in Pondicherry in 2007.
His passion for protecting the environment has rubbed off on his daughter as the two are now working as a team of eco-crusaders. "Every week, we clean up the beaches and the ocean beds. I then segregate the plastic and send the one that can be upcycled to the recycling plant. While the other is taken care of by the government who dispose of it properly," reveals Aravind.
Tharaagai, who is being home-schooled, wants to be a scuba diver when she grows up. But the nine-year-old is currently enjoying her work as an eco-crusader and wants more kids to join hands. "I alone cannot clean marine plastic, everyone has to participate," she signs off.
(Aug 4, 2023) In the Christmas of 2021, five-year-old Moksha Roy wrote a heartfelt letter to Santa Claus, asking for two plastic-free presents so that there is less plastic pollution on the planet. “Plastics are super bad for the planet and us. So please, please make my wishes come true,” she wrote. That was the beginning of the sustainability champion’s tryst with Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), also known as ‘Global Goals’. Now, at the age of seven, Moksha Roy stands tall as the youngest sustainability advocate, spreading hope, awareness, and inspiration for a greener and more sustainable future. Her efforts have not only gained recognition from her community but also earned her the prestigious UK PM's 'Point of Light' award, acknowledging her extraordinary dedication to sustainability. [caption id="attachment_32380" align="aligncenter" width="535"] Moksha Roy[/caption] Moksha was exposed to UNSDGs at a young age by her Indian immigrant parents. The Hertfordshire residents are scientists, authors, and philanthropists who founded the Centre for Big Synergy (CBS) a civil service initiative associated with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Shocked to learn from her parents that not only children but many adults were unaware of the SDG goals, Moksha showed interest in
zen-Youth-Award-BCyA-2022.jpg" alt="Indians in UK | Moksha Roy | Global Indian" width="535" height="713" /> Moksha Roy[/caption]
Moksha was exposed to UNSDGs at a young age by her Indian immigrant parents. The Hertfordshire residents are scientists, authors, and philanthropists who founded the Centre for Big Synergy (CBS) a civil service initiative associated with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Shocked to learn from her parents that not only children but many adults were unaware of the SDG goals, Moksha showed interest in spreading awareness and inspire action at the tender age.
Her determination has led to the integration of SDGs-related knowledge into the curriculum of British schools when she wrote to the Prime Minister of UK in 2021. She simultaneously wrote to leaders of 193 countries to make necessary policy changes to include the global SDG goals in their nations’ school curriculum. She was thrilled to receive responses from government officials, leaders, and representatives of 22 countries, including the UK, Canada, Germany, and Norway. “I felt happy to have support of so many leaders, some of whom took action to make policy changes,” she said in an interview.
With a YouTube channel as one on her platforms, Moksha continues to raise awareness about environmental issues, including microplastic pollution, about which she aims to educate a billion children and their families through the 'Microplastic Free 2023' campaign. Accompanied by her parents, she has also worked in underprivileged schools in India to further the cause and has raised funds for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and UNICEF UK. Apart from being the recipient of the Points of Honour award this year, the youngster received British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA) in 2022.
Youngest sustainability advocate
The milestones that Moksha has achieved gives her the impetus to keep moving ahead. The biggest of all milestones was when the UK Secretary for State for Education not only acknowledged her letter but also considered it as a part of the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy for Education and Children’s Services. “We shared the first version of the strategy in 2021. We will think about your helpful idea as we continue to work on the final version,” he had replied.
Her efforts have led to mindful practices in classrooms including her own. “My favourite part of spreading awareness is when I get to see people making changes even if they are really small ones. I like seeing many of friends giving up harmful products like glitter altogether. Instead, they are using natural materials for arts and crafts,” she remarked.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYLfgxe6Khw
Compassionate leader
Moksha’s compassion has extended to different domains. Her dedication to underprivileged children was evident when for her birthday gift, she requested friends and family to donate to UNICEF UK, raising £350 for the organisation. She has even motivated her friends to do the same and is happy to see that they are following her footsteps to support children in need.
“Did you know that in an average in the UK people spend about £150 on birthday gifts for children. Imagine if only thousand people give up their birthday gifts for a charity every month, then over £2 million pounds can be raised in just one year, and together we can stop so many plastic gifts going into the landfills,” she said.
The mindful youngster has adopted an eco-conscious lifestyle, minimising the use of plastic toys and actively recycling and donating items to less fortunate children. Gardening is her passion, as she creates a safe habitat for insects in her garden. Her compassion is not just limited to plants, insects and birds but wildlife too.
The little warrior has fundraised for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to protect penguins, polar bears, snow leopards, and their habitats.
Using creativity for change
Moksha's creative talents shine through her talent for art and writing, which she uses as mediums to convey powerful messages about the environment. One of her works, an owl family made from recycled materials, earned her a prize in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Wild Art 2021 competition.
In a world where every little action counts, Moksha serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder that age is no barrier to making a positive impact on our planet. “By Just planting trees and switching off lights we cannot solve the big problems that the planet is facing today, she says adding, “Every child can become a ‘Global Goals Superhero’ by caring for the planet in everything they do. Children can start introducing the 170 actions to their parents that the UN has suggested. If every family can make simple changes, we can make a real difference. Many hands make the work lighter,” she remarked.
With her boundless energy and passion, Moksha Roy is inspiring millions to join the cause and work towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
(August 19, 2023) In the vast expanse of the world of photography, fresh perspectives are constantly emerging, reshaping narratives and challenging norms. As we mark World Photography Day, Global Indian takes a look at young photographers, who have not only demonstrated prodigious talent but have also made significant international impacts with their work. From poignant moments captured amidst global movements to the serene intricacies of wildlife and urban tales told through the gaze of confinement, these young talents invite us into their world, challenging us to see through their eyes. Dive into the journeys of Akshat Bagla, Aman Sharma, Dhanu Paran, and Pubarun Basu – photographers who have broken borders, not just with their camera's reach but with the profound narratives they've chosen to depict. Akshat Bagla: From Kolkata streets to global fashion's elite In a whirlwind career, Akshat Bagla evolved from a 17-year-old Artist-in-Residence with Kolkata's Rotary Club to Director of Photography for Differio, a globally renowned gay menswear company. Akshat's love affair with the camera began at 13, photographing meals and moments. “I thank my cousin, he’s the reason I’m here,” he confessed to The Daring. [caption id="attachment_32654" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] A photo shot by Akshat Bagla in New
Akshat Bagla: From Kolkata streets to global fashion's elite
In a whirlwind career, Akshat Bagla evolved from a 17-year-old Artist-in-Residence with Kolkata's Rotary Club to Director of Photography for Differio, a globally renowned gay menswear company. Akshat's love affair with the camera began at 13, photographing meals and moments. “I thank my cousin, he’s the reason I’m here,” he confessed to The Daring.
[caption id="attachment_32654" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] A photo shot by Akshat Bagla in New York City. Source: www.akshatbagla.com[/caption]
Growing up in a Kolkata business family, it was expected he'd take over the reins. Yet, a revelatory experience with his first photos shifted his trajectory. Despite initial parental hesitation, Akshat's dedication to photography only grew, especially evident during the pandemic's onset in Kolkata. He ventured out daily, rediscovering his city. “I explored more areas and talked to more people than I ever did in the sixteen years of living there before.” Despite initial parental hesitation, Akshat's dedication to photography only grew, especially evident during the pandemic's onset in Kolkata. He ventured out daily, rediscovering his city. “I explored more areas and talked to more people than I ever did in the sixteen years of living there before.”
The Rotary Club archive task at 17 kickstarted his official journey, followed by a fruitful tenure at the School of Visual Arts. From capturing the essence of the Black Lives Matter movement to vibrant Gay Pride shoots for Differio, Akshat’s expertise in re-branding is gaining recognition.
Staying authentically Indian, Akshat veers away from trending black and white photos. “As a visual artist, I rely on our traditional affinity to colours,” he stated. His Bengingi bread shoots and the Gay Pride campaign, though commercial, are considered art. As he documented faces during the BLM protests, his motive was clear: “I’m trying to tell their story at the end of the day.”
At just 20, Aman Sharma is recognized as one of India's youngest and most followed wildlife photographers, and is Nikon's youngest creator. But it's not just his art that's gaining attention. Celebrities like Leonardo Di Caprio and Greta Thunberg admire Aman's dedication to the environment.
His 2019 petition, urging the Indian government to declare a climate emergency, resonated internationally. Accumulating 350,000 signatures, it spurred similar campaigns worldwide. Collaborating with Change.org and 74 global petitions, Aman's campaign garnered 1.2 million signatures. This massive movement catalyzed climate emergency declarations in the European Union, UK, Austria, New York, and more.
Currently an Environmental Studies student at the University of Pennsylvania, Aman's passion roots from childhood visits to national parks. His early interest evolved into 'Cuckoo Club', an initiative educating children about urban wildlife. His Instagram page showcases India’s diverse avian life, connecting over 600k followers to the country's natural heritage.
Aman's international achievements include speaking at the 75th UN General Assembly and the Nobel Peace Centre’s Oslo Pax. Back home, he stresses the urgency of climate awareness and action. India, though advancing in renewable energy, faces challenges with growing coal demands. Aman believes in young India's potential to combat climate change. This World Environment Day, he inspires us all to pledge towards a greener future.
Dhanu Paran: Capturing nature's majesty from Anamalai to international acclaim
Dhanu Paran is making waves in the world of wildlife photography. In 2023, he clinched the Siena Drone Photo Awards' Wildlife category with his shot of an elephant at rest in Tamil Nadu's Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
From Pollachi, India, Dhanu's passion for the lens ignited when he was just 10. His prowess was evident when, still in his teenage years, he secured the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for an evocative piece titled 'Hornbill losing patience'."For the past 13 years, I've been engrossed in wildlife photography and filmmaking, starting at age 10. My fascination comes from my intense urge to observe wildlife closely, capturing their most intricate details," says Dhanu.
Dhanu's commitment is evident in his extensive treks, specifically a 22 km journey to spot the great hornbills. On one occasion, he artfully captured a hornbill's fleeting annoyance at a Nilgiri langur, highlighting the bird’s magnificent, outstretched wings. These majestic hornbills are recognized by their eye-catching hollow horns or casques atop large, curved beaks. Residing mainly in regions with expansive trees like the Anaimalai Hills, these hornbills are known to display aerial ‘casque-butting’ combats between males. However, these unique casques have made them a target, being highly prized by hunters.
Pubaran Basu, the first Indian to win a Sony World Photography Award
In 2021, Pubarun Basu was distinguished as the Youth Photographer of the Year, spotlighting his deep-seated love for photography. His award-winning 2020 photo, "No Escape from Reality," which captured a poignant moment during the lockdown, fetched him this title at the Sony World Photography Awards, making him the first Indian to receive such an honor. "My photo was selected among 3,30,000 entries from around 29 countries. It was a very humbling experience," Pubarun told Global Indian.
Inspired by his photographer father from a young age, the Kolkata-born talent recalls, “I vividly remember my father handing me his camera... I somehow managed to take a picture by imitation.” His early ventures into photography matured into a signature style, with a fondness for capturing sunsets, portraits, and street photography.
His award-winning shot depicted the emotion of confinement during the lockdown. “One evening, sunlight seeping through the windows gave the illusion of a cage. I asked my mom to touch the curtain, representing being trapped in a moment," describes Pubarun.
The accolade catapulted his career, leading to his photo being showcased internationally and winning the Indica cultural photography grant 2021. Aspiring to convey impactful narratives, he states, “I want my voice to be heard through my art.” Paying homage to his father's influence, he adds, “I have learnt everything from him...
(June 7, 2024) Among the numerous top international celebrities who walked the Cannes red carpet this year was an unusual debut by Nancy Tyagi, from Barnawa village in Uttar Pradesh. The 23-year-old turned heads with her self-made pink gown at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, becoming an overnight sensation. With 2.5 million followers on Instagram, she boasts several brand endorsements and has garnered popularity and appreciation from even the celebrities. The Delhi-based influencer captured hearts after representing India on the global stage at Cannes 2024, showcasing her self-designed and self-stitched outfits. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ELLE India (@elleindia) “Stepping onto the red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival as a debutant feels surreal. I poured my heart and soul into creating this pink gown, which took 30 days, 1,000 meters of fabric, and weighs over 20kg,” Nancy shared with her fans soon after her Cannes debut. “The journey has been intense, but every moment was worth it. I'm overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the love and support from all of you. This is a dream come true, and I hope my creation dazzles you as much as your support has inspired
“Stepping onto the red carpet at the 77th Cannes Film Festival as a debutant feels surreal. I poured my heart and soul into creating this pink gown, which took 30 days, 1,000 meters of fabric, and weighs over 20kg,” Nancy shared with her fans soon after her Cannes debut. “The journey has been intense, but every moment was worth it. I'm overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the love and support from all of you. This is a dream come true, and I hope my creation dazzles you as much as your support has inspired me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!” she added.
Stumbling into dress designing
Nancy had never imagined her life would turn into such a fairy tale when she decided to move to New Delhi from her hometown with the goal of clearing the UPSC exams. While moving from her small town of Barnawa in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, all her relatives and neighbours told her parents that the money they were investing in her coaching could be better used to marry her off. However, her parents did not pay heed to such advice. Nancy’s mother and younger brother joined her, while her father stayed back to take care of their cab service business.
Life took an unexpected turn, when the lockdown interrupted her UPSC preparations, and the savings meant for her education started getting used up for everyday expenditures. Her father had given the family three lakh rupees for studies and rent, and was in no position to send more with his business being affected by the lockdown at the time. Her mother found a job in a factory, which was exhausting. Every evening, when she would return home covered in coal dust, Nancy's heart would break.
The arts graduate and her brother even worked at a call centre for a month and left the job when they were not paid any salary. However, the unpleasant circumstances opened a new door, one that led to her true passion - dress designing. Despite lacking formal training or a fashion degree, Nancy began creating outfits from scratch using an old sewing machine that was gifted to her mother at the time of her wedding.
“When we had just about a lakh of savings left, I decided to quickly buy a camera and start making videos and reels for Instagram to showcase my talent in dress designing. I thought that even if my plan didn't work out, I would have no regrets about not trying.”
Inspired by influencers, she wore her dresses to showcase the designs while her brother directed and shot her videos. They hoped their content creation endeavour would be successful someday, leading to brand deals and earning opportunities, so that they could give their mother a break from her unhappy job.
Getting success – an uphill task
For one year, they struggled to increase their views, which remained in the mere hundreds. Nancy decided to try something different and started adding dance elements to her videos, even though she didn't know much about dancing.
To increase her following, she began recreating dresses of celebrities and influencers using clothes bought from local shops. Through trial and error, she crafted elaborate outfits inspired by icons like Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and many others. "I have never learned stitching," she says. "When I was a child, I used to stitch my dolls' clothes. I had bags full of clothes for my dolls. Using the same steps I started stitching my own clothes."
She modelled the outfits herself and danced to Bollywood numbers to make the videos interesting. People initially found her content weird and started making memes. She faced harsh trolls and body shaming. Relatives called to scold her, saying, "Look what you have done. People are making fun of you."
Undeterred, Nancy continued. Gradually, her follower count started increasing as she and her brother got into the groove of content creation. Once she started gaining popularity, people stopped body shaming her and calling her "skinny," and began appreciating her designs. "Complaining relatives stopped calling. Now I call them to share my success," she said in an interview.
“Earlier, I didn’t have the money to purchase a better sewing machine, but now I have got used to using it for two to three years. Even though I have the money now, I don’t think I need to buy a new one immediately,” she said. However, she made some purchases with her own money - something she couldn’t have imagined a few years ago - such as an iPhone.
The Cannes charisma
Brut India, a fast-growing digital video publisher, took notice of the rising star and promoted her talent by sharing her story with their audience. They even gave her a life-changing chance to be part of the Brut India Squad at Cannes.
Due to visa issues, her brother's plans to fly to Cannes were stalled at the last moment. It was the first time she was on a professional venture without her brother Manu. However, managing well without him gave her confidence that she could handle things on her own. “I had not gone anywhere without Manu but went straight to France without him,” she smiled.
Flying abroad to one of the fashion world’s most prestigious events to showcase her couture, and that too on a business class ticket, has been an unbelievable experience that has filled Nancy with new energy. “Now I don’t want to copy or recreate. It will be my designs only,” said the designer upon her return. Many people including fashion icon Sonam Kapoor have asked her to design something for her. Nancy is more than happy.
Nancy Tyagi's journey from Barnawa to the Cannes red carpet epitomises the power of passion, determination, and resilience. Despite financial struggles, societal pressures, and harsh criticism, she transformed her dreams into reality through courage and creativity. Her success as a self-taught fashion designer, and journey to the global stage, highlights that with the courage to follow one's passions and the resilience to overcome challenges, anything is achievable. Nancy's story inspires to remain focussed on one’s dreams and steadfast in the face of adversity. Her story proves that true dedication can lead to extraordinary accomplishments.
(October 6, 2022) Ten days ago, a post by writer Amitav Ghosh, who is quite the foodie, appeared on my Instagram feed. It was a glowing recommendation, along with a photograph, of a young chef, with Ghosh writing, "Great spread of pre-wedding Malayali food by Sarah Thomas and Hunter Jamison... If you are in the NYC area and longing for some spicy Malayali food." One assumes this would be the work of a veteran chef, Ghosh is, after all, one of the most celebrated names in the literary world. It was, however, a very youthful young woman who appeared on screen for the interview with Global Indian. "I'm 23 years old," Chef Sarah Thomas says. "I began my catering business in January 2021." Today, the young Global Indian works 20 hours on some days, making up to 50 dishes at a time. Growing up in New Jersey, where her parents moved from Kerala, Sarah's diet always comprised of home-cooked Malayali staples. "My mom would wake up at 5 am to cook for the whole family every day. It would make me angry then because it was distracting, I couldn't study and my clothes would smell. I never liked it." Soon
ry then because it was distracting, I couldn't study and my clothes would smell. I never liked it." Soon after college, however, when she moved away from home, she found herself craving her mother's cooking and simply couldn't find a suitable substitute. "What is available is either fusion or very high-end. The simple, traditional dishes were impossible to find. I simply wasn't tasting what I was getting at home," she says. Sarah decided to try her hand at it, setting up 'Sugar Dosa' on Shef, an online platform for people to order authentic, homemade meals made by local, certified chefs from around the world.
Straddling two worlds
Although her parents remained more or less rooted in their native culture, Sarah felt quite separated from it. "I'm only Malayali ethnically, I tell people that too. I don't speak the language as well as I should." She was a serious teen, studying medicine as so many Indian kids in the US do. Sarah realised soon enough that it wasn't what she wanted to do with her life and decided she would much rather teach yoga. "After I studied and did all my exams, I realised what I was doing didn't feel authentic to me. My parents worked hard to bring me here and the idea behind doing so was to see a different way of life - that's part of being American too." So, she turned to her decade-long association with yoga. "My father is a yoga teacher, he had studied at the Sivananda Institute. I learned from him when I was young and we would also teach together," she says.
In college, much to the alarm of her traditional parents, she chose a course in acting and creative writing. After that, she moved to NYC, signing up as a teacher with a yoga studio and working on writing short stories as well, in which she talked about life as an Indian growing up in America. "I found I didn't like the Western style of yoga, though. Here, the fear of cultural appropriation is a big deal, and yoga is seen as just a workout. Writing is also extremely competitive." Her three-year stint at the yoga studio ended unpleasantly when it became involved in a tax that "ruined the perception of yoga."
In 2020, when she created a platform for Malayali food on Shef, there was huge interest almost immediately. "I was the only one there making appams and egg curry," she smiles. She makes the batter by hand, substituting toddy, which she simply cannot get in the US, with yeast. "It works just as well," she says. The spice mixes are also hand-ground and she travels to New Jersey, which is home to a large Indian diaspora and major department stores that specialise in Indian ingredients, to buy what she needs. The Malabar Chicken Curry, appam and egg curry, and the famous Kerala beef fry (for private customers) are all in high demand.
Amitav Ghosh was among those who found her online. He ordered once and then again, after which he messaged Sarah, asking her if she would be willing to cater an event. "I didn't know it was the day of his son's wedding, he told me it was for a wedding party. I ended up catering this big meal for them right before they got married. It was also my first huge party." As she found her feet - Sarah is now expanding into a professional kitchen - she found, through yoga, writing, and cooking, a way to "tell my story without having to do anything out of the way. When I catered Mr. Ghosh's event, people already knew what I did and where I came from."
Sarah now plans to set up her own 'Malayali cafe' in the Lower East End, with doubles as a yoga studio. "That way, I can do both. To me, cooking is a form of yoga too. Here, yoga is a physical activity and is rarely paired with mindful practice, meditation, or the correct ways of eating," she says. Having studied meditation from former experts who learned from Osho back in the 1970s, Sarah's method of teaching yoga is to prepare the body for meditation.
"All of it is coming together for me," she says, as she concludes. "There are more South Indians here than ever before and I'm more emboldened now to share what I do and put a plate in front of someone. A lot of people come from India to New York and tell me they haven't eaten this kind of Malayali food for years. I'm happy doing this, instead of taking a more traditional path."
Swimming across the Palk Strait[/caption]
Aravind with daughter Tharaagai[/caption]
Moksha Roy[/caption]
A photo shot by Akshat Bagla in New York City. Source: 
Nancy Tyagi[/caption]
Sarah's Beef Ularthiyathu[/caption]