From fighting plastic to smart village programme: these stories will keep you inspired
This week’s top five SocialStory articles feature stories of advancement, courage, and innovation.
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Mumbai-based startup fights plastic using eco-friendly substitutes
Punit Batra, Aditya Ruja, Anuj Ruja, and Akshay Varma used to participate in beach cleanups in Chowpatti and Juhu in Mumbai. And they were shocked to see the amount of waste accumulated in the beaches, which inspired them to come up with eco-friendly products. In 2017, they started Beco, which uses bamboo pulp and cornstarch-derived polymers to manufacture kitchen towels, trash bags, and tissue rolls.
(Left to right) Beco's founding members: Punit Batra, Aditya Ruia, Anuj Ruia, and Akshay Varma
These cost-efficient products are produced using Moso bamboo, which mainly grows in China as well as in Maharashtra and North East India. The bamboo kitchen towel can be washed and used up to 100 times, unlike a generic microfibre cloth, which is non-biodegradable. Registered in 2018, the company’s website states that it has so far contributed to removing 120 tonnes of plastic waste effectively from the garbage dumps.
Meet the architect who has restored more than 1,300 trees in Bhubaneswar
Odisha lost property worth over Rs 12,000 crore earlier this month due to Cyclone Fani. To help repair this damage, Shweta Agarwal, Founder of Unmukt Foundation’s The Green Army, with a group of 30 full-time volunteers and several other people, is replanting trees all around Bhubaneswar.
The Green Army team working towards restoring the fallen trees (Image: Edex live)
The Green Army makes sure they restore trees before they dry up. They have also requested the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to use the dry leaves and convert them into compost before people burn them. Their restoring drive went on till May 30.
This young man risks life to save 10 students trapped in Surat building fire
On May 24, Takshashila Complex, an illegal building in Surat, caught fire killing 22 students studying in a coaching centre. A video of Ketan Chodvadiya clinging to the window of the building, trying to save the trapped students risking his own life, was circulated widely on social media.
Ketan Naranbhai Chodvadiya (Image: Indian Express)
“The smoke blinded my eyes, but I was not scared. I was horrified at the thought that these children were about to die. Initially, I saved two girls from falling and ensured they landed down safely. I then attempted to help others,” said Ketan.
It didn’t stop there. Ketan went a step ahead and visited victims in the hospital to see if any of them needed help.
“Periods are not just for women”- Trans people speak up
Generally, when it comes to menstruation, the world assumes that it’s only cisgender women who go through it. But what about those with alternative gender identities? To address this issue, a group of young people explain why it is important for this discourse to be more inclusive.
“I feel left out. I get my periods too, and people just assume that I am a female. As a trans person, I feel the general population lacks the knowledge about other gender identities and forms of gender expression,” says Robyn, a 17-year-old student from Mumbai, who identifies as gender fluid.
People whose gender identity does not align with either side have a tough time navigating through life as most people are completely ignorant of the existence of gender beyond the binary, or simply refuse to learn.
United for Hope launches smart village programme in rural UP
Founded by Tara McCartney in 2014, United for Hope is a non-profit organisation that has started a smart village programme in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
It also includes rural tourism, harnessing the available natural resources for income generation projects, and provision of basic facilities, which includes sanitation, health, and internet access.
Today, the village boasts of a higher literacy rate at 69.04 percent, compared to the entire state of UP, which is at 67.68 percent.
The project has also impacted the lives of entire district, and has created livelihood opportunities for over 25,000 people in over 10 communities.
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