THE GREEN EFFECT
MEET A FEW ENTREPRENEURS WHO CHOSE TO LET GO OFF THEIR CUSHY CAREERS AND INSTEAD, DECIDED TO WORK TOWARDS SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROMOTING THE GREEN CAUSE. YASMIN TAJ WRITES ABOUT TWO SUCH INITIATIVES
The growing awareness about the environment and the need to save it, is gaining immense momentum with every passing day. From governments to social organisations and from corporates to individuals, every segment of the society is taking an active interest towards the development of this cause. Also, its a known fact that the youth of the country, today, is leaving no stone unturned towards making their contributions for the betterment of the society. Here are a few youngsters who chose to let go off their lucrative career opportunities and took up the responsibility of making a difference to the environment.
LIGHTING UP LIVES
LIGHTING UP LIVES
For these youngsters, it was not only about grabbing cushy jobs; the power to make a difference to the lives of the less fortunate gave them the real kick. The founding team at Energised Solutions consists of three engineers – Arth Aggarwal, Dhruv Dhanda and Vashistha Maheshwari. Their
innate desire to contribute in their small way, to the progress of India led them to think about the millions of Indians living in rural India who do not have access to electricity. Building a viable solution and making a tangible difference to these lives has been at the heart of forming this organisation, expresses Arth Aggarwal, founder/director, Energised Solutions.
After completing their respective engineering degrees, all three worked with reputed firms across different sectors. But, despite progressing professionally, their ambition to contribute to a bigger cause was left unfulfilled. Our passion for making a substantial change to the lives of the less fortunate in our country coupled with our understanding of the solar technology made us work towards providing cost-effective solar lighting to the people who need it the most, shares Aggarwal.
When most youngsters want to grab cushy and highpaying jobs in this competitive market, why did these youngsters choose to take the opposite route? There is a burning desire to contribute to a bigger cause and doing something more meaningful drove us to take this route. This drive is a source of courage in times of failure, of security in times of doubt and of greater motivation at every small success, asserts Aggarwal. One of their recent projects was aimed at improving the living conditions of the underprivileged in rural India by way of solar lighting. They were able to mobilise funds from India and around the world and were able to build a network of over 150 people, who supported this cause. Installing solar lights has eliminated the recurring cost.
Talking about the kind of challenges they faced while trying to make this initiative work, Aggarwal says, The major challenge we faced was building a solution that would rectify an immediate problem of the villagers. At the same time, it was critical to build a sustainable solution, and not just a temporary make-shift alternative. Balancing these two things were possibly the biggest challenges we encountered. Their advice to people would be to follow your dream, believe in your abilities and look at the bigger picture. It is always satisfying to achieve in life, but the pleasure of working for someone elses betterment is a lot more fulfiling, he concludes.
BE THE CHANGE
BE THE CHANGE
When young minds come together for a cause, they turn things around and make sure the issue comes to the forefront with some solid action. Our genesis lay in the year 2000 when, most of us, mostly undergraduate students, came together to take cohesive action to address the pitiable condition of the River Yamuna through the We for Yamuna campaign. From an amateur volunteer activist group to a recognised and registered organisation, Swechhas journey continues with newer and effective ways of expanding our message to more people across nations, expresses Vimlendu Jha, founder & executive director, Swechha. Swechha is an organisation dedicated to enabling ourselves and others
around us to Be the Change, in making a visible difference to the environment – both physical and social, he adds.
But, not taking the conventional route to success is not an easy decision. Jha explains, My parents wanted me to be an engineer when I was in school. Towards the end of my graduation, I had this feeling of restlessness. I didnt know where to go next. All my friends were busy belling the CAT or applying for higher studies. I decided to take one year off from studies and do something for Yamuna.
Taking up a cause and working towards it also requires funds too. Jha shares that initial years were very challenging.
People didnt have faith in our venture as we were young in the industry. Gradually, people realised that young people can be the change and have the ability to be good at it. So, acceptance started after sometime. Funds have always been a challenge. We are almost self sustainable. We deliver services that get us resources and we route those resources to generate and execute the projects we really are inspired by. So in a way, it is a cross-subsidising and self sustainable model, he adds.
Jha concludes with a few words of advice for youngsters who have the inclination to do something similar in life and says, Believe in yourself, have the courage to dream as no task is impossible. The journey is not so difficult as it is made to be believed. The right amount of passion, adequate amount of skills, focus, patience and persistence are the necessary ingredients to succeed.
These initiatives go on to prove that if we really want to make a difference, there is nothing that can stop us. The youth can certainly make this world a better place to live in.