Young guns embrace spirit of nationalism by giving back to society
Neha Saini
Amritsar, August 18
Celebrating the spirit of independence through innovation, volunteerism and a sense of responsibility towards society, two teens from the city have launched their community reach-out campaigns, an attempt to give back to the country in their own way and make a difference. Sanay Khurana and Dishita Sareen have taken up the cause of sustainability and health to the fore through their campaigns.
Embracing sustainability, one tiny step at a time Dishita Sareen, 16, founded ‘Kala: Creativity for a Cause’, three years back. It is an initiative that powers on the ideas of sustainability and adopting a clean lifestyle. Starting with a simple idea, Dishita transformed pots into canvas, creating artistic pieces that were sold to support education for the underprivileged. On Independence Day, Kala extended its message by adorning the landmarks in the city including the airport, historic buildings, MC and administrative offices with colours of the national flag, using eco-friendly buntings. “The idea is to celebrate responsibly. We have been listening to campaigns that say no to plastic, yet we use plastic-based party decors including balloons, products like plastic sticks, plastic flags, buntings and more. With a small change like using paper or fabric, we can work towards sustainable options that are also economical,” says Dishita. Embracing eco-friendly buntings for a patriotic decor, she is also serving another purpose that she is passionate about. “The funds raised from the initiative will be used to sponsor education, lighting up the lives of those who deserve it the most but lack funds,” she said.
Batting for clean, healthy lifestyle choices
When most youngsters of his age are busy learning the latest party tricks, city-based Sanay Khurana, a Grade 12 student at Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur, has come up with Project Saans, that aims to raise awareness and educate the youth about the dangers of vaping. Vaping has become a menacingly addictive habit not just among the teens but also adults. Sanay has teamed up with several city-based doctors, health experts and the police department to design an awareness campaign that not just educates but also suggests ways to quit vaping. “The prevalence of misinformation in society has resulted in some individuals perceiving vapes as harmless and a safe substitute for smoking, consequently contributing to a vaping epidemic. Despite bans and warnings, vapes and e-cigarettes continue to be available easily. Through Saans, we attempt to take proactive measures to combat the vaping epidemic and address the lack of awareness in society,” says Sanay. He has conducted informative workshops and camps at shopping malls, hospitals and popular public places. He has conducted various workshops and drives in schools in Jaipur and Amritsar. He also conducted a workshop against substance abuse for women inmates in Amritsar Central Jail.
He has been felicitated by MLA, Amritsar North, Kunwar Vijay Pratap and Vatsala Gupta, DCP Headquarters, Amritsar, for his campaign.
