Monil, 17, India

Basic need(s):

Environment

Project:

Community Conservation

Growing up in India, Monil has been exposed to environmental problems like pollution and water shortages. In the belief that there is no step too small toward a brighter future, Monil began a green initiative in her school and locality. Through various collection drives, educational awareness assemblies, and her own personal innovations in conservation, Monil's community has succeeded in decreasing water and electricity consumption, informed local youth of green practices and the importance of their implementation, and improved waste management in school with the addition of two functional compost pits and a paper recycling unit. The initiative has directly impacted between 1,500 and 2,000 members of the community. Due to her success locally, Monil now seeks to expand the initiative's area-of-effect with plans to reach out to neighboring schools, communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and to provide aid to less-privileged areas. Monil's ultimate goal is to take her program global in what she has termed a "Green Revolution."