From inspiring young boxers to eliminating manual scavenging – here are the top Social Stories of the week
This week, SocialStory witnessed the inspiring stories of a boxer and reminisced about the work of the legend of the dairy industry. We also saw innovations that are making people’s lives easier.
National Milk Day is celebrated on November 26 since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, who is renowned for his revolutionary idea of setting up milk cooperatives in the country.
Meanwhile, while Mujtaba Kamal inspires young boxers to push harder and embrace the sport, a father-daughter duo help people cope with mental stress during the pandemic.
This week, SocialStory witnessed these stories along with stories of life-changing innovations aimed to make way for a better future.
Here are the top Social Stories of the week:
Boxer inspiring youngsters to get into the ring by providing free training
Born and brought up in the cultural capital of India, 37-year-old Mujtaba Kamal picked up his first pair of boxing gloves when he was as young as nine-years-old. However, due to many obstacles, Kamal could not fulfil his dream of being a professional boxer in the long run and represent India at the international level.
This was mainly because of the lack of resources, opportunities, and coaching facilities available for professional boxing (also known as pro boxing) in India. Realising this, Kamal took it up as a challenge to build a foundation for professional boxing in the country and is spreading awareness about the much-neglected sport while also training some boxers free of cost
Remembering Dr Verghese Kurien on his 99th birth anniversary
Known as the Father of White Revolution, Dr Verghese Kurien was a social entrepreneur who launched the programme Operation Flood to revolutionise dairy farming in India.
India celebrates National Milk Day on November 26 each year since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Kurien, which stands as a testament to the impact of this one man on the entire country’s milk supply.
An eco-friendly stove addressing sustainability issues in rural India
A majority of households in rural and semi urban areas in India rely on traditional biomass fuels for cooking, which represent a significant proportion of domestic primary energy consumption. However, these fuels are inefficient and produce harmful emissions.
In order to address sustainability issues across majority of the population and be a catalyst for inclusive growth in India, the UPES has come up with a multi fuel cooking stove called Neelam. It is capable of operating both on conventional and renewable energy sources available in rural and urban areas.
HopeQure enabling people to access mental healthcare online
From the fear of losing livelihoods, the forlornness of being confined to the four walls of our room, to the apprehension surrounding symptoms like cold and cough, the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to mass hysteria, collective anxiety, and a string of emotions that are affecting our mental health.
Vivek Sagar, who has been invariably involved in driving multiple social impact projects, wanted to bridge these gaps. So, in 2019, along with his daughter Shiya Sagar, he established HopeQure, a mental wellness startup that enables people to obtain therapy and counselling through a secure virtual platform.
JALODBUST systems helping more than 20 lakh manual scavengers globally
Manual scavenging has been deemed illegal for a long time now according to The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Yet, alternatives are still not available, thus creating an age old community of such workers who are unaware or ignorant of the risks such work entails.
Finding a solution to this problem are Bengaluru-based Rakesh Kasba and Erica Kasba, who’ve mechanised this process with their system, JALODBUST, launched in 2018, through their company Cherries Engineering and Innovation India Pvt Ltd (CEII Pvt Ltd).
JALODBUST is a mechanized scavenging system that removes faecal sludge from septic tanks. Its primary objective is to eliminate human contact with faecal waste.
Edited by Anju Narayanan