From helping abused animals get justice to encouraging people in plantation drives — top SocialStories this week

Many unprivileged people have to rely on the kindness of others to eat two meals a day. And with rising inequality, social commitment and social work are the need of the hour. As MasterChef and philanthropist Sanjeev Kapoor told SocialStory, "Philanthropy is something that everyone has in their hearts. There are opportunities and you grab those. It is the intent/ desire to do something that is important."

This week, we brought many such inspiring stories of social entrepreneurs who are trying to create an impact in the world we live in.

This initiative by LawSikho aims to give abused animals a fighting chance at justice

In India, many legislations have been passed for the welfare of animals. However, it is still unclear if there are any regulatory firms to check if things are on track.

This is where the online legal education platform LawSikho’s animal welfare initiative, 'Lawyers for Animal Defense' comes into play. On legal blogsite iPleaders, LawSikho has been judiciously sharing information on helpline numbers and the steps required to help or defend animals in distress, especially street animals like dogs, cats, cattle, etc.

LawSikho is filing an RTI (Right to Information) for information about the working of the boards set up by various authorities to get clarification on whether they are working according to the legislation or if they have any proper system in place, as written/drafted in the Acts.

Sanjeev Kapoor: From super chef to a super hero

A Padma Shri Award winner, Masterchef extraordinaire and entrepreneur Sanjeev Kapoor is one of India's most popular chefs. His recipes have cut across the language barrier through his 200+ bestselling cookbooks that are available in seven different languages. 

Needless to say, his name tops the list of the most popular TV personalities. Sanjeev has also figured in the Reader’s Digest list of 100 of India’s Most Trusted people.

However, few people know about the philanthropist Sanjeev. During the lockdown, he dedicated himself to arranging food for doctors, medical staff, police staff, and migrant labourers, among others.

This social entrepreneur is making it easy to give back by helping people donate pre-loved goods

While growing up in Noida, Anushka Jain always used to wonder why her mother donated her clothes only during her birthdays. She thought her mother was busy, but later realised that the real reason was that “there was no easy way to donate goods”.

To fill this gap and to know where and how materials were being used, she started Share At Door Step (SADS), a service that comes straight to your door to pick up gently-used goods and facilitates their donation to an NGO or charity.

This father-son duo is driving sustainability through tree plantation campaigns

Instead of generic messages to save the planet, Smiling Tree asks its members to adopt a plant, wherein every individual is given a simple task: plant a tree and take care of it.

According to founder Mukesh Kwatra, unlike usual plantations where plants and saplings are forgotten after they are sowed, Smiling Tree takes care of every life it plants in the true spirit of gardening.

The organisation also conducted an Anti-Plastic Drive on August 4, 2018 in the bustling city centre of Connaught Place, New Delhi, to generate awareness about plastic pollution.