Today we all are conscious of the changing climatic variations, species extinction, natural calamities, etc. A lot of conferences on the global level are taking place on how to combat climate change and protect biodiversity. Amidst all, a ten-year-old girl is gaining attention through her eco-friendly activities. Her nature-friendly approach and love for living things are admirable.
Prasiddhi Singh is a social entrepreneur and environmental activist from the Chengalpattu region of Tamil Nadu. She is also the founder of Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, Brand Ambassador of the Save Girl Campaign and Child Ambassador of the Green Tamil Nadu Mission. Prasiddhi is a TEDx speaker and Harvard Model United Nations keynote speaker. She is a fifth-grade student at Mahindra World School.
Prasiddhi developed an interest in nature at an early age. When she was two years old, she started asking questions about everything, from trees, birds, rain etc. At the age of four, Prasiddhi started her tree conservation activities.
Motivated To Plantation Drives
At that time, cyclone Vardah crossed the eastern coast of India close to Chennai and uprooted many trees. The sight of helpless creatures running in search of their shelter made her unhappy. A week later, her mother informed her about the news of a plantation drive taking place in the city, which made her extremely happy. To change her mindset, she participated in a plantation drive at Mahindra World City. That year, the residents planted 100,000 trees, which motivated Prasiddhi to plant more trees and launch a mission for conserving trees.
The Prasiddhi Forest Foundation
In 2018, she founded the NGO Prasiddhi Forest Foundation and decided to plant 1 lakh fruit trees by 2022. Through these planting endeavours, she tries to make the planet green. She has already constructed 28 micro forests and achieved her goal of planting 100000 trees. She started her mission by collecting seeds. Her school also promoted her nature-friendly approach.
Concerns For Mother Earth
According to Prasiddhi, the relationship between man and nature has broken down, which resulted in drastic climate change and the extinction of many species. She urges everyone to take action without waiting for the government, corporates or any leaders to step up.
Awareness Campaigns
She is conducting both online and offline awareness campaigns. She has more than 36,000 activists who want to protect nature. They used innovative techniques and led environmentally friendly lives. In addition to planting trees, composting waste, and recycling, they use natural pesticides made from neem, ash, and banana peels. Along with planting trees, they have initiated the G3 project, which stands for “ Generating oxygen”, “Growing your own food” and “Giving back to the society”.
She is not only creating awareness campaigns but taking action and creating impact. Her Prasiddhi Forest Movement is spreading globally and inspires every citizen to be ethically conscious and socially responsible.
Raising Funds
Prasiddhi and her changemakers raise money for their ventures by selling bookmarks, pencils and grow kits. She raised money by participating in online webinars and sessions throughout the pandemic. She also donated the prize money from the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to her NGO.
Honours
Prasiddhi received the Youngest Prime Minister National Action Award in 2021, the Highest Civilian Award under the age of 18. Her enormous eco-army and significant work also led to her selection as the Tamil Nadu Brand Ambassador for the Save Girl Child, Educate Girl Child (Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana) welfare campaign of the Indian Government. She is the recipient of the Diana Award 2022 and listed in the book of records, India, as the youngest fruit forest creator. She also received the global Child Prodigy Awardee 2022.
Having grown up in an environmentally conscious family, Prasiddhi enjoyed life with nature. She is trying to restore that lost relationship. She urges everyone to take action in whatever way they can to fix this. Her efforts to plant trees to make the world greener, create awareness among all and conduct campaigns for biodiversity conservation in such an age are inspiring to all. Let us support constructive reforms. Save the planet, save lives, and keep hope for better days ahead.
Credits and References
https://www.mahindra.com/blogs/prasiddhi-singh-changemaker-and-climate-activist