Little Miss Sunshine: Teen invents ‘solar cycle’ as a cost-effective irrigation solution
Written by: Amrita Priya
(May 29, 2022) Working on a Miyawaki forest plantation drive near Kommasandra Lake in Bengaluru, 16-year-old Rachanaa Bodugu realised she had been mistaken in thinking farmers have an easy job. There’s usually no electricity during the day, for starters, which means pumping water into the fields is a challenge. “Electricity is mostly available in the night time and farmers struggle to irrigate their crops,” says the teen, who is a class 11 student at Indus International School. A little digging showed that agricultural processes are not water-efficient, leading to sky-high energy bills for farmers. “Irrigation by manual methods is very laborious,” Rachanaa tells Global Indian. “I was compelled to come up with a solution.”
Rachanaa Bodugu
Eco-friendly solution
“It is a step towards sustainability and effectiveness of farmers,” Rachanaa remarks, adding, “during the plantation of 2,000 plants for Miyawaki forest, I realised how much manual labour goes into watering the plants.” She started researching ways to water plants more efficiently. Trawling through the internet, she hit upon an idea, and backed every step of her innovation with reliable research. It is an unusual model that the teen came up with – a three-wheel cycle that runs on solar panels. Once the design was ready, she fine-tuned the idea with her mentor, Anand Malligavad, under whose guidance she had been working to rejuvenate Kommasandra Lake and reviving the fauna around its lakebed.
Rachanaa giving finishing touches to her innovation – the solar cycle
Her mentor, Anand, is a mechanical engineer and a lake conservationist – well qualified to give Rachanaa the feedback she needed. Her cycle is fitted with a drum, a pump and has solar panels installed on top. It doesn’t require fossil fuel to run and can pump water from a nearby source. “Madhusudhan, an acquaintance, helped me with the solar panels,” says Rachanaa. Using funds provided by her parents, the teen set to work on a cost-effective prototype.
“The protype has been tested successfully and I am hopeful for CSR funds so that more and more farmers can be helped,” she tells.
Finding the path
Spending about four months in lake rejuvenation and revival of fauna around it sparked Rachanaa’s mind with great insights. “I was intrigued by Anand sir’s initiatives of lake revival, and joined him out of curiosity,” She went expecting a laidback cleaning drive but was impressed to find the team using highly scientific methods. “Those few months spent making a difference around Kommasandra Lake were a great learning opportunity,” she smiles.
Kommasandra Lake in Bengaluru
Triggered by her own hardships, her vision to help farmers in and around Bengaluru is commendable, given her age. “My innovation would make life not only less laborious but more convenient for them as they would not feel compelled to work at night when electricity is available, losing their sleep and making themselves prone to injuries in the dark,” she believes.
Rachanaa with her mentor, water conservationist, Anand Malligavad
Rachanaa finds inspiration in Anand, whose work fills her with desire to be of more help to the people at large. “He has been impressively rejuvenating so many lakes in such a short time and that too without spending much money,” says the youngster, who aspires to be an entrepreneur and remain attached to the cause of saving the environment. She also loves spending time with her parents Sudhakar and Geeta and her brother, Krishna, as well as painting, sculpting, watching YouTube and Netflix.
(August 30, 2022) Toxic relationships are not very uncommon these days. As a 25-year-old, Priyal has seen many of her peers in such relationships for years, ultimately seeking professional help and support to come out of it. What finally triggered her to launch StandWeSpeak, her SexEd tech platform, was the incidence of abortion of a young acquaintance who was also mentally and physically abused in her relationship. It has been just nine months into the venture and Priyal’s startup has taken her places. From being invited to promote social and gender equality at the World Bank Group Youth Summit 2022 to being approached by UNDP to share her journey, her initiative has garnered attention at the right places. The Diana awardee is now stationed in South Korea for a three-and-a-half months’ accelerator program. StandWeSpeak has been selected as top 60 in the K-Startup Grand Challenge, a global accelerator startup programme by the Government of South Korea as part of solution for the country’s problems. [caption id="attachment_21410" align="aligncenter" width="679"] Priyal Agrawal, founder, StandWeSpeak[/caption] Priyal appears excited about the opportunity as she connects from Seoul. “It’s not just a great opportunity but huge validation of my efforts that the government of South
Priyal appears excited about the opportunity as she connects from Seoul. “It’s not just a great opportunity but huge validation of my efforts that the government of South Korea is supporting and helping to establish my company here,” Priyal tells Global Indian. “This motivates me to do better as we got chosen amongst thousands of applications received globally,” she says.
The purpose
“As a society, we are not allowed to discuss relationships openly and that is why it takes longer for people to end abusive relationships,” says Priyal. Her initiative equips people with life-skills required to take care of their well-being, relationships, mental and sexual health. It empowers youngsters to make informed decisions. “It’s a 21st century sexual health ecosystem for millennials and Gen Z,” she tells.
Through an anonymous chatbot, Talk to Mae, an AI-driven sexual and reproductive health expert, youngsters seeking help can get accurate medical and legal answers. The platform offers knowledge on vital issues through informative videos, bio-degradable menstrual hygiene and sexual health products, and judgement-free, consultancy service from gynaecologists, counsellors, sexologists, intimacy experts and lawyers.
Journey so far
“I did not register my organisation as an NGO because when something is provided for free, people do not value it enough. I did not want that to happen to my initiative,” says the entrepreneur, who works from Goa. In the course of nine months, StandWeSpeak has handled 15,000 chatbot interactions and has conducted workshops of 10,000 youngsters in schools and colleges.
[caption id="attachment_21411" align="aligncenter" width="857"] Priyal Agrawal in a school workshop[/caption]
“Youngsters are able to find anything and everything about love, gender, intimacy, relationships, sexuality, consent, and much more,” says Priyal, who enjoyed short stints as psychological first aid provider in Tihar jail, Delhi and as a counsellor at Samaritans, a suicide prevention helpline in Goa before starting her venture.
Hiccups along the way…
The psychology graduate from Mumbai’s Sapphire College is the first entrepreneur in her family and it took quite a bit of convincing. By then, she had tried a number of things, from preparing for IIT and trying her hand at architecture for a year before ultimately studying Psychology.
“As a young woman in India, starting a venture is not easy. People do not accept the idea readily. It is considered a passion or side project until the time the girl gets married,” says Priyal. “People advised me to go for a masters first or think of something else as I didn’t have experience or expertise of running a company.”
Also, the domain that she chose to work does not get recognised as important or considered in a need of a solution. “India is conservative of talking about sexual health, wellness and providing sexual education to youngsters,” she rues. However, to be recognised at global platforms has added immense strength to her confidence in her choice of venture.
More inclusivity in future
“The need exists and young people are looking for solutions,” says Priyal. She was confident about it looking at the youngsters around. Starting with a bootstrap budget, she learned to design the initial version of the platform. Later, when her team expanded, it interspersed AI with counselling of the gender inclusive platform that is being used even by members of the LGBTQ community.
Apart from the expansion plans in South Korea, Priyal is planning to make StandWeSpeak more inclusive so that even people with physical disabilities can access the services through features like voice search option. She is looking at producing informative videos which would also have the sign language component so that it can reach a wider audience. Having multilingual services in India is also one of her plans. Priyal wants to promote her services worldwide someday but for now, is taking things one step at a time.
(January 5, 2023) Meghana Gaddam stood before the New Zealand parliament, greeting the speaker with a 'Namaskaram' before turning to the minister of health to ask, “How do health system reforms address the existing nationwide resource constraint in the health sector particularly labour shortages.” By her side stood MP Tim van de Molen, whom she was assisting. Meghana is a member of the Youth Parliament, part of a novel method of functioning in the New Zealand government. Citizens elect close to 120 MPs, each one of whom works in close association with a nominated Youth Parliament member. In 2022, when Meghana was nominated for the role, her responsibilities included helping the MP deal with issues related to the youth and to act as their voice within the parliament.She has been working with Waikato's MP Tim van de Molen with a focus on shelter for every person, especially in the wake of Covid-19 induced poverty and homelessness. [caption id="attachment_26141" align="aligncenter" width="738"] Meghana Gaddam in the New Zealand Parliament[/caption] "Nothing is impossible for a strong-willed person, if one is determined to do best to achieve their goals in life," she remarked while interacting with media after getting selected for the coveted role. Inclination
"Nothing is impossible for a strong-willed person, if one is determined to do best to achieve their goals in life," she remarked while interacting with media after getting selected for the coveted role.
Inclination towards social work
The Youth Parliament is held every three years, providing young New Zealanders the chance to learn first-hand about the country's democracy, influence decision-making and have their voices heard. As the government made its selection, it recognized Meghana's exposure to social service and efforts to raise funds for orphans in Waikato.
“With my friends, I had taken up activities to support orphans and kids from refugee camps who had migrated from Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq,” she revealed in an interview.
[caption id="attachment_26142" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Meghana Gaddam with MP Tim van de Molen in New Zealand Parliament[/caption]
Tim Van de Molen, the MP whom Meghana is currently ,assisting remarked in an interview that the four-minute video, where she gave her opinion on issues facing youth in the Waikato, was excellent and seemed as if it came straight from the Parliament’s general debate.
From India to New Zealand
Meghana's father, Gaddam Ravikumar immigrated to New Zealand twenty-two years ago with his newly wedded wife, and settled in Waikato as a real estate businessman. Meghana was born there, and the family has been staying in St Kilda.
[caption id="attachment_26143" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Meghana Gaddam with her parents[/caption]
Always a bright student, she completed her International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme' (IBDP) from St Peter's, Cambridge, graduating as head girl.
Meghana excelled academically and also participated in various social service initiatives in school. She did a two-year stint at the Refugee Orientation Centre Trust in Hamilton and was an active Model United Nations participant.
This laid the foundation of the people’s person that the nineteen-year-old Global Indian eventually became.
The Indian roots
Though born and brought up in New Zealand, the youth icon of the island country hasn’t forgotten her Indian roots. Visiting her native place, Tanguturu in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh with her parents has been an annual affair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foGWHQYDvkg
The youngster fluently converses in Telugu and clued in to Indian culture. She is also always in the thick of traditions followed by the diaspora.
(March 16, 2022) Crammed into a narrow alleyway in the backstreets of Kumortuli in North Kolkata, a sculptor is sculpting the face of goddess Durga ahead of Pujo. That stunning photo by young photographer Pubarun Basu speaks volumes of his love for the craft. Yet, it’s only one among his many stellar photographs. Another photo turned the tide for this muse-seeking shutterbug – a 2020 photo titled No Escape from Reality that won him the Youth Photographer of the Year 2021 at the Sony World Photography Awards. Basu was the first Indian to achieve the feat. “My photo was selected among 3,30,000 entries from around 29 countries. It was a very humbling experience,” the 20-year-old tells Global Indian in an interview. [caption id="attachment_12664" align="aligncenter" width="551"] Pubarun Basu[/caption] Snapshot happy The 2001-born Kolkata lad got inclined towards photography at age four when he picked his first camera, thanks to his photographer father. Being in the company of the best of gadgets, the Bengali boy was fascinated by the dynamics of photography. That first DSLR camera he held, and the photo he clicked seemed to activate a passion that has only embellished itself. “I vividly remember my father handing me his camera.
picked his first camera, thanks to his photographer father. Being in the company of the best of gadgets, the Bengali boy was fascinated by the dynamics of photography. That first DSLR camera he held, and the photo he clicked seemed to activate a passion that has only embellished itself. “I vividly remember my father handing me his camera. Since I had seen my dad click photos, I somehow managed to take a picture by imitation,” says Pubarun who took his first photo at the Khoai Fair in Shantiniketan.
Seeing his father “in action all the time,” he learnt the tricks of the trade. Getting access to a good DSLR so early, was a blessing that proved fortuitous. “I understood the tonality, correct exposure and framing. My father had a home lab where he would develop. In time, my taste evolved and so did my understanding of photography,” says the English literature student at the University of Calcutta.
At age nine, he was gifted a Nikon point and shoot camera. “I began clicking photos of the birds in our vicinity – bulbuls, tailor birds, kingfishers, I’d capture them all on my lens,” reminisces Pubarun who later got fascinated by street photography. “I love capturing sunsets and portraits. Over the years, I developed this style of photography, which has now become my signature," adds Pubarun.
When he won the Youth Photographer of the Year 2021, it augured more acclaim. In July 2020, Pubarun submitted his award-winning photo - No Escape from Reality – (theme composition and design). “The brief was to look for an unfamiliar setting within a familiar setting, and what better place could it be than our home (during lockdown). One evening, I was in my parents’ bedroom when I noticed sunlight seeping through the windows, and the iron rails created quite a stunning shadow. It gave the illusion of a cage. I asked my mom to stand behind the curtain, stretch out her hands to touch the curtain. The idea was to represent the feeling of being trapped in a moment, or in one’s reality,” says Pubarun who used a Nikon D800E for the shot.
[caption id="attachment_12665" align="aligncenter" width="858"]No Escape from Reality by Pubarun Basu[/caption]
All this gave his photography career a major boost. “Winning that title remains unmatched. It took me a while to let it sink in. Many aspiring photographers started approaching me to inquire about the process of selection for the title and my technique,” gushes the young photographer who is “still in disbelief” that Sony exhibited his photo across the globe.
The urge to explore
The award-winning photo was exhibited in Japan, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Later, he bagged the Indica cultural photography grant 2021 to work on a project on the tribal communities of North-East India. “I pitched the idea as northeast is a hidden treasure and the tribes of that region haven’t been explored much. Eight photographers from the country were selected for the project. I was the youngest,” says Pubarun whose project will be published as a coffee table book soon.
The young photographer is keen to capture stories that create an impact. “I want my voice to be heard through my art. My photography has evolved with time, and I wish to put forth a constructive narrative,” says the documentary filmmaker who took up online photography course from the Museum of Modern Art, New York during the lockdown, which he says was “an enriching experience.”
A father’s legacy
Basu loves Steve McCurry, Dorothea Lange, and Raghu Rai’s oeuvre, yet, it’s his father Pranab Basu who is his mentor. “I have learnt everything from him. Whatever I create, he is often the first person I show my work to. He is my biggest cheerleader and biggest critique,” reveals Pubarun who has an equal support system in his homemaker mother. “She has been a shield, protecting me against the taunts of my relatives who questioned my unconventional line of work,” says the young photographer.
Today, Pubarun, still so young, is a photographer to reckon with. “The idea to be original” he feels helped him set sail. He adds, “When you are young, you love to imitate the works of people you admire. But in the process, you start to live in their shadow. Creativity thrives when you have an individualistic style.” Which he sure does.
For aspiring shutterbugs, he advices, “be open-minded and keep experimenting different styles before settling for one,” yet he cautions not to get influenced by social media.
A movie buff, his creative spirit meanders into tabla playing, which he has been practising since he was six. Now, he plans to study photography abroad after graduation. “Photography is my passion and I want to pursue it as a career. My vision is to create a community of artists who do projects that speak about contemporary issues,” adds Pubarun who is currently in Varanasi to shoot a musical documentary on the holy city.
(September 9, 2023) We seldom come across a successful professional cricketer who has an equally successful career outside the realm of sports. A principal member of technical staff at Oracle, Saurabh Netravalkar is one such rare cricketer. The India-born is an ace sportstar who has has even captained the USA national team, representing the United States in international cricket. He juggles his corporate role and also plays for the Washington Freedom, an American professional Twenty20 cricket team that competes in the Major League Cricket (MLC). It’s not easy to excel in two very demanding jobs. Saurabh works odd hours on tours and even on his team bus to meet his corporate responsibilities. A left-arm medium-fast bowler, Saurabh recently won the ‘Player of the Match’ award in an MLC match with San Francisco Unicorns emerging as the standout performer. [caption id="attachment_32972" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Saurabh Netravalkar[/caption] Not new to outstanding performances, Saurabh has been India's highest wicket taker in the 2010 Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand, and was the man of the series in the tri-nations U-19 tournament in South Africa. The Mumbai-born was also named the best junior cricketer in India in 2009/10. When his cricketing career was just taking
Not new to outstanding performances, Saurabh has been India's highest wicket taker in the 2010 Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand, and was the man of the series in the tri-nations U-19 tournament in South Africa. The Mumbai-born was also named the best junior cricketer in India in 2009/10.
When his cricketing career was just taking off in India, he had moved to the US to pursue his higher studies.
Choosing academics over sports
When someone possesses a brilliant academic record in computer science engineering from one of the nation’s premier institutions, lucrative and stable employment opportunities abroad provide a constant allure. This led Saurabh, an alumnus of the Sardar Patel Institute of Technology in Mumbai to pursue his masters abroad, that too at an Ivy League school, and subsequently bag a lucrative job at Oracle.
However, the cricketer in him was not able to stay away from the sport for long. With his dedication, coupled with luck, he has become a prominent cricketer in the United States in a short span of time. Saurabh has been efficiently giving action-packed performances with his ability to effortlessly swing the ball in both directions.
[caption id="attachment_32967" align="aligncenter" width="518"] Saurabh Netravalkar in action[/caption]
The hard decision
He was 23 when he had to take the crucial decision regarding his career path. The Mumbai boy, who had already proven his mettle as a skilled left-arm pacer, ultimately opted to prioritise further education in the United States, relinquishing his aspirations of a cricketing career in India. This decision came two years after his inaugural match in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy back in 2013, where he played against Karnataka, a match that also featured his former India Under-19 teammate, KL Rahul.
“It was a very emotional decision for me to leave cricket behind and come to the US to pursue higher education,” the Mumbai-born cricketer said in an interview.
Unforgettable experiences
For Saurabh, his experiences in his short but successful cricketing career in India are significant. Those experiences have helped him to charter a fresh path in the world of U.S. cricket.
[caption id="attachment_32980" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Saurabh Netravalkar with Cricket Stalwarts in 2013-14[/caption]
He cherishes participating in the BCCI Corporate Trophy as a member of the Air India team under the leadership of the renowned Indian cricketer of that era, Yuvraj Singh.Other present-day Indian cricket stars like Suresh Raina were also part of the tournament. “My performance in that competition was commendable, and it played a pivotal role in my selection for the India Under-19 squad,” he shared. He had made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the 2013–14 Ranji Trophy.
While K.L. Rahul, along with fellow participants of the 2010 U-19 World Cup such as Mayank Agarwal and Jaydev Unadkat, embarked on their journey towards representing the senior Indian cricket team and securing IPL contracts, Saurabh went on to pursue a master's degree in computer science at Cornell University.
Once a sportsman, always a sportsman
After completing his masters and entering the corporate world, the software engineer has been able to find a foothold in the United States team, and play with some of the current top players. “It was always a dream to play against top international players and test my abilities. I am really grateful to get that chance finally," said the Global Indian who loves singing to the tunes of his guitar.
Saurabh has been balancing his passion and full-time job successfully. “I am a software engineer, so I have to mostly code. The timings are flexible, which is a good thing about this profession. So, I can work at my own time,” he remarked. “My goal in cricket and life is to keep on scaling up and to be consistent,” he added.
In Saurabh Netravalkar, cricket enthusiasts and the diaspora find a remarkable example of someone representing India's beloved sport on an international stage.
(July 12, 2023) It was in her third attempt that twenty-five-year-old Manju Bangalore won Miss Oregon USA 2023 title becoming the first South Asian woman to do so. The persistent and multifaceted youngster called the win, ‘the cherry on top’ because it gave her ‘a bit more platform’ to do the kind of work that she has been doing. Manju is a role model for young Brown girls in the US, not just as a pageant winner but as an aspiring astronaut, actor, model, activist, author and a non-profit founder who started Operation Period and Painting with Parkinson’s. The postgraduate student at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences in the US, will be proudly representing her state, Oregon in the upcoming 72nd Miss USA pageant, slated to take place in October in Nevada. Whether it is the world of pageantry, academics, extracurricular activities or her career, Manju has displayed consistent excellence, occasionally pushing her own boundaries. Her motivations are not solely driven by the desire to enhance her resume but stems from an innate inner drive to fulfil her purpose – personal growth and to make a positive impact on the community. [caption id="attachment_31812" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Manju Bangalore being crowned
Whether it is the world of pageantry, academics, extracurricular activities or her career, Manju has displayed consistent excellence, occasionally pushing her own boundaries. Her motivations are not solely driven by the desire to enhance her resume but stems from an innate inner drive to fulfil her purpose – personal growth and to make a positive impact on the community.
[caption id="attachment_31812" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Manju Bangalore being crowned as Miss Oregon USA[/caption]
Bagging five NASA and one White House internship
Before joining the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, Manju graduated from the University of Oregon with a major in physics and minor in maths. An ambitious young woman who wanted a head start in her career, she was looking everywhere for internships. She ended up bagging not one or two but five NASA internships and one White house internship on science policy.
“Over the course of my five NASA internships, four of which were in the astronaut office, I contributed to propulsion research and helped design and build the cockpit displays of the Orion spacecraft,” she said. Talking about her White House experience she remarked, “One of my favourite memories was staffing a Hidden Figures screening for First Lady Michelle Obama.”
Finding inspiration in Kalpana Chawla
From the tender age of four, Manju aspired to become an astronaut. This dream had been sparked during a visit to the air and space museum in her locality. It was there that she had stumbled upon the remarkable story of Kalpana Chawla - the pioneering Indian woman who ventured into space. “Just seeing someone who looks like me doing this incredible thing made me feel like I could do it,” she remarked. Her strong work ethic and the trait of dedication and hard work comes from her parents, Phani and Geetha Bangalore, who migrated from South India and own and operate a seed-testing lab in Oregon
[caption id="attachment_31813" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Manju Bangalore at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences[/caption]
While she was pursuing her undergraduate studies at theUniversity of Oregon, she applied for hundreds of internships and ‘got rejected by ninety-nine percent of them’. Quite by chance she had come across NASA’s portal during her search and had discovered that there was an entire portal of NASA focused on internship. Like other applications she went ahead with applying there too without any high hopes. But to her immense joy, she was selected by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Later, her application to work at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was accepted too. At the White House, she met astronaut Sunita Williams who guided her to land four more internships at NASA's Johnson Space Center, in the astronaut office. “I learnt quite a lot working on the cockpit displays of the spacecraft that will go back to the moon and then to Mars one day,” she shared.
Fuelled by these experiences, Manju enrolled herself into the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences’ postgraduate programme. “The school hasn’t selected us by any means to go to space, but they are putting us through the training that’s necessary to one day go to space,” shared the happy youngster.
Operation Period and Painting with Parkinson’s
When Manju was 17, she started Operation Period to address menstrual disparities that she saw around her. The seed for starting this venture germinated in her mind when she encountered a woman in a medical store who was desperately in need of menstrual products but could not purchase them due to lack of money. Not only did Manju generously pay for her needs but came out of the store with the determination to do something about women like the one she met in the store.
Through Operation Period, the youngster has made a significant impact, distributing over 300,000 menstrual products worldwide and organizing events to raise awareness about menstrual health education.
She also runs a second non-profit, Painting with Parkinson’s, to help bring meaning through art to people like her father, who suffers from the disease. The non-profit provides free painting kits and organises free painting classes to people affected by PD. “I believe that art has the power to heal, and everyone is an artist and should let that light shine,” she remarked.
From science and service to the world of pageantry
The multifaceted youngster has been participating in pageants since she was in her teens. The Oregon resident had made a couple of unsuccessful attempts in the Oregon Teen USA competition, but she remained determined. In 2017 she had managed to get successful in the local pageant, Miss Benton County USA. When she entered her twenties and could no longer participate in the Oregon teen pageant, she set herself on the Oregon Miss USA competition. It took her three attempts to finally win the crown. Overjoyed with the fruit of her persistence she shared, “The months that have followed after winning have been the best months of my life.”
[caption id="attachment_31814" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Manju Bangalore at an event[/caption]
Multiple experiences on the pageant stage have given the Global Indian a unique perspective on what it takes to be a winner. “A beauty pageant obviously has a component of outward appearance, but also in those seemingly beauty-oriented competitions, they are still looking at how poised you are, how confident on stage you are,” she said adding, “I was by no means the tiniest person on stage; I am curvier, and none of that was held against me.” In fact, Manju thinks it helped her. “It showed that I am confident in my body and who I am. It has helped me develop a thick skin, to face and filter out the detractors.”
The Indian-origin American embraces and beholds her looks, her identity and her culture with utmost pride.
Wearing many hats
Manju has a knack for acting since her school days. Her stint in modelling and the world of pageantry led her to some good acting projects. She has guest starred on two television shows - Black is King, Depot and Animal Kingdom and is hopeful for more work on this front in future. Working inBlack is King was particularly special because she got an opportunity to work with Beyoncé, the American singer and songwriter. Recently Manju turned an author with her debut children's book, You can be all the things you want to be.
[caption id="attachment_31815" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Manju Bangalore with her debut book[/caption]
Born to immigrant parents, growing up Manju realised that the world is not an equal place. Instead of being bogged down by racism that she and her family faced, the youngster grew up with the sense of responsibility towards people who are looked down upon for being different. Manju is also a supporter of black and transgender rights and goes out of her way to support these causes. She looks at the Miss Oregon USA 2023 title to be a good platform to work on these issues.
Priyal Agrawal, founder, StandWeSpeak[/caption]
Priyal Agrawal in a school workshop[/caption]
Meghana Gaddam with MP Tim van de Molen in New Zealand Parliament[/caption]
Meghana Gaddam with her parents[/caption]
No Escape from Reality by Pubarun Basu[/caption]
Pubarun Basu[/caption]
Saurabh Netravalkar in action[/caption]
Saurabh Netravalkar with Cricket Stalwarts in 2013-14[/caption]
Manju Bangalore being crowned as Miss Oregon USA[/caption]
Manju Bangalore at t
Manju Bangalore[/caption]
Manju Bangalore at an event[/caption]
Manju Bangalore with her debut book[/caption]