When Children Take the Lead

Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground they spit upon themselves. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood, which unites one family. Children who know this will be leaders of tomorrow.

Aluva, where Anagha, 13, lives in southern Kerala, has heavy monsoon rains for three to four months of the year followed by severe drought. Anagha wanted to help local farmers, many of whom have no municipal water supply, so she demonstrated to them how they could harvest and save rainwater. After reading books, websites and talking with her grandparents, she set up a system of bamboo gutters on her family’s roof to direct the rainwater into a container. Pebbles and coal filtered the water, which then entered a pipe leading to a well. Once installed, she told her neighbours about the collection system and also helped with the planting of trees, such as acacia, which increase absorption of water into the ground. She regularly checked the rainwater collector and the well. After the monsoons, there was enough water stored for domestic and agricultural purposes. “As children,” says Anagha, “it is our duty to preserve natural resources and also to take an active role in environmental activities.”

Kruti Parekh, 13, promotes environmental awareness through her magic show which she has performed 1700 times. In it, she eats waste paper and produces an endless sheet of recycled paper from her mouth. She also promotes worms! Yes, worms —the great unsung heroes of eco-movement. Put them in any bin of compostable rubbish and they will break it down into rich fertiliser in days. Kruti calls it “The 2 in 1 process—waste disposal and fertiliser manufacture all in one!”

Students of Apeejay School in Delhigot fed up with air pollution caused by cars. Air pollution causes chronic lung disease in 12% of Indian children. One morning, a group of high school students stood at a busy intersection in South Delhi and flagged down vehicles to check pollution control certificates. Those who had one got a handwritten thank you note. Those who did not were politely directed to a testing centre or had to face a fine the next day.