From tackling hard water to creating awareness about organ donation, these changemakers are making a difference

We all know how dire the situation of our environment is at the moment. From continuous forest fires to depleting groundwater, there seems to be no end to the harm we have already caused. However, few individuals like, MrBeast, a YouTuber with over 20 million subscribers or two friends, like Rajesh Saraf and Uday Nadiwade are doing their bit in saving the environment and its resources.

Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey collaborate with YouTuber MrBeast to plant 20 million trees

When the largest forest cover in this planet burns due to the effects of climate change, it brings out the question – what can we do to save our environment? We will find plenty of answers. But, planting trees and conserving them is one of the important initiatives.

A stunt philanthropist, Jimmy, recently touched 20 million subscribers and is planning to plant 20 million trees by raising $20 million. He has planted over six million trees with the help of his followers to date.

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At present, he aims to plant 20 million more trees by the end of January 2020, in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation, one of the largest non-profit tree-planting organisations.

Jimmy has donated $100,102 and has created #TeamTree challenge to call out all social media influencers to join him. One can donate on teamtrees.org for the cause. Well-known YouTubers such as MKBHD, The Infographics Show, Linus Tech Tips, Mrwhosetheboss, among others, have also joined Jimmy in his efforts.

Meet the 19-year-old changemaker who is spreading awareness about organ donation in India

While conducting a research on organ donation in India, Radhika Joshi realised that every year, about five lakh individuals lose their lives due to the unavailability of organs. Only 0.86 percent per million people donate their organs due to countless myths surrounding the cause and lack of awareness.

Radhika wanted to do something about this pressing problem, and - at the age of 18 - she founded The Second Chance Project. Radhika, along with her six team members, is using creative interventions to spread awareness about this cause. They use innovative, easy-to-implement and cost-effective methods such as information sessions, street plays, and art.

How two friends are tackling India’s hard water with an affordable, zero-wastage product

In a nation that is already reeling under a water crisis, the hardness of water is an omnipresent issue, especially in states such as Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. Seeing this common problem, friends Rajesh Saraf and Uday Nadiwade started BEFACH 4X to create a water softener product that is cost-effective and environment-friendly.

BEFACH 4X’s product, D’Cal Hard Water Softener, removes the stickiness of calcium ions as opposed to the more traditional method of eradicating minerals.

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The D’Cal softener is a bottle-shaped device that can be held easily in one’s hand. All one needs to do is drop the device into their borewell. It automatically reduces the hard water levels by breaking down the calcium and magnesium ions, thus rendering the water soft. Priced at Rs 3,600, the softener lasts for up to one year and can purify up to three lakh litres of water, Rajesh notes.

How Child Cabinets are weaning students off work and bringing them back to school in Odisha

Prone to natural calamities and limited livelihoods, villagers make their children work intermittently to boost family income. Awareness programmes and Child Cabinets in government schools help students know their rights and learn about the importance of education. This has prompted students like Subhasmita to convince parents to send their children to school regularly.

The Child Cabinet works in the same manner as a government parliament so that children learn about the functioning and hone their leadership skills. Selected children act as heads of different departments like education, food, water, and sanitation, etc., under a leader named chief minister.

Meet the woman behind the handwritten letters initiative that is touching lives across the world

For most of us now, a WhatsApp message usually elicits a quick response but we can all admit that a handwritten letter carries a bit of old-world charm that will never go out of style.

And a great proponent of handwritten letters is Paromita Bardoloi, who started an initiative called ‘Letter from A Stranger, India’, to send handwritten letters to people across the globe. Till date, the community that she built on Facebook has sent over 100 letters across the globe. In this community, a form is put up for writers and requesters of letters once every two months. The information is collated and the letters are distributed. Then begins the journey of responding to the letters.

The entire initiative is driven by volunteers and is for free. On average, 30 volunteers sign-up every month to write letters.

(Edited by Suman Singh)

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