My current campaign “Trash to Treasure”

• As an Indian kid, I have grown up listening to the virtues of re-use. We were never allowed to leave food in our plates. Unlike some cultures, mainly British or Chinese, where eating the last bite is considered rude, Indian tradition instead encourages us to take small portions that we could finish. I realized at a very young age that Wasting our Waste was not an option.

Drive for rag-pickers

• Towards the end of 2013, I initiated a drive about personal hygiene among the rag pickers in my locality. I spent time with them, interviewing, listening to their concerns, and their major challenges. I distributed sanitized gloves and masks, and educated them on the means of proper waste segregation with the money I collected by selling some of my “trash-to-craft” items.

Interacting with rag pickers

I encouraged them to send their children to school instead of pulling them in this occupation. But while I advocated for their kids’ education, at the same time I realized if I’m taking away their helping hand in the form of their kids then I should provide an alternative occupation to parents to increase their income. This question continuously gnawed my head, and I kept thinking about a way to provide them alternative avenue.

Started initiative from home

• In today's times of Google's omnipresence, it's not hard to find what a useful thing trash can be.

• I decided to collect all the waste lying at my house for want of repair, forgotten in the storeroom for years.

• I talked to my relatives and friends. I convinced them to donate me their unused stuff.

Though still a small amount of Rs. 1800 only, it helped me in a remarkable way. Belonging to a poor background, Roshni Didi

worked at a tailoring boutique and for long had been wanting to set up her own tailoring shop. I used my mother’s old sewing

machine, which she no longer used, got it repaired for Rs. 450, and used the rest of the amount to buy lining cloth, needles,

threads, machine oil, buttons, hooks, and other things required to start off and run her business efficiently. TAILORING SHOP FOR ROSHNI DIDI

APPROACH RWA

• With this success, I had tasted blood. I had seen that the waste of our households could so beautifully transform the lives of those in need.

• The next step was to approach my area’s RWA at Surya Niketan to reach out to the wider masses in my locality.

• So I put down my thoughts on a paper, made huge pamphlets and distributed the pamphlets through newspaper.

Pamphlets distributed in News paper

I also did door-to-door campaigns in my locality, campaigned at local markets, malls, and public gatherings.

Trade Fair

Promenade Mall

Dilli Haat

Ambiance Mall

Raahgiri Day

Tikona Park

After the success of campaigns and drive at Surya Niketan, I replicated this in neighbourhood colonies and got overwhelmed response.

After selling the trash handsome amount was generated to provide livelihood.

This amount helped me to set up two stationary shops. With the help of references given by Sewa Bharti I set up first stationary shop at

Anjali farms (opp. Mayur Vihar Metro Station) which has benefited to young enterprising boys Vikram and Naresh, who give tuitions to 50

students from the nearby slums at nominal rates. Naresh is an extremely talented and hard working boy who aspires for IAS. This

mobile stationary shop is an avenue of extra income for him, which he hopes will help him in saving enough money to take admission in IAS

coaching. FIRST STATIONARY SHOP AT ANJALI FARMS

Mobile Stationary Shop at Geeta Auntie’s Jhuggi Khadar Yammuna

Grocery Shop for Anil Bhaiya

Got enrolled three aural and speech impaired boys from Karkardooma basti in Voccational Traning Course

Let us march towards charity free society