Climate Change Fund: Youth for Climate Change

There’s a lot we’re proud of at The Climate Change Fund, but perhaps most importantly, we’re proud the young entrepreneurs we support visit schools and talk to children about their enterprises. Why? Because entrepreneurs in India don’t often go to schools. Entrepreneurs, as the saying goes ~ don’t teach. It could be because they, we, don’t have much time to do that, along with running our crazy, unpredictable enterprises. Or, that schools as islands, don’t invite us. It could be a bit of both. But it’s happened across the past year consistently, all of our entrepreneurs, our heroes have visited schools to talk to children in Grade 9 about their enterprises. To make the day successful, we often screen mini movies about the entrepreneurs before they visit to kids, we ask kids to prepare questions. Then when the entrepreneurs come with their stories, often shy, unsure too, who knew running a sustainable enterprise meant you had to be a super hero too? The kids make them feel at ease and the questions come rapidly, one after another. Hands up. To classrooms of often 100 children the entrepreneurs share.

“Do you get stung by bees when you harvest the wild honey?”

“How do you persuade people to install a toilet at home when they’ve been going outside for so long? What do say to people when they ask if it’s stinky?”

“When people make fun of your enterprise, and say that’s not good work for women, what do you say?”

“There’s so much garbage here and everywhere, how can I start an enterprise that recycles everything and not have everyone think I’m doing a dirty business?”

The children’s questions go well after question-time.

The entrepreneurs are all different, all themselves, some are charismatic and speak so well, others more introverted explain step by step why they’ve started their business. They explore big ideas with children, climate change, pollution, the work your family does, the work you can choose to do, the honor in good work, equitable work, problem-solving and leaning skills at school.

“Will you come back next year?” A question is hurled across the room as an entrepreneur leaves the classroom.

“Apparently” she smiles, “We’re going to be graphic novels.”

And she’s right, our top sustainable entrepreneur heroes are not only successfully running their enterprises to solve local problems and create jobs, they are youth heroes. Their stories are graphic novels that are read by 300,000 children in Grade 9.

While one entrepreneur can visit a school on a particular afternoon, one story can reach 300,000 kids in one go. The power of stories, thank you for believing in the potential for young entrepreneurs to change everything for their communities and most importantly, for the next generation of children. We all need heroes.

Angat’s Upcycled Bag Enterprise

As plastic bags are non-biodegradable, destroying them is a very difficult task and people generally resort to burning them to get rid of the waste. It contributes highly in polluting the air. The major disadvantage associated with plastic bags is that
it causes serious deterioration of the environment in many ways. This got Angat worried. 

While visiting a market in Shamali, Kishanganj sometime in 2010, the entrepreneur came to know about the business of sturdy bags used for carrying fruits and vegetables. Because he knew the skill of stitching, it wasn’t very hard for him to setup a business. He started his enterprise in 2012. Currently, he sells 3000-3500 upcycled bags a month. 

Impact: Plastic does not only have an adverse effect on our natural habitats, but it also severely affects the lives of animals, most of whom die after consuming it in one way or the other. This enterprise has created a positive change in the society and has contributed in making the village plastic free to an extent. The bags made by the enterprise are strong enough for the purpose of reuse. It has also created employment opportunities for two women. Apart from running this sustainable business, Angat also creates awareness on the effects of plastic on our environment in his village. 

Beauty’s Paper Cover Enterprise

These days plastic bags are seen everywhere. It is quite common to see people carrying their shopping items in different types of plastic bags. Worried by the harmful effects that these plastic bags are having on our environment, Beauty Afreen started her paper cover enterprise in January 2017, and till date she has supplied over 20 quintals of paper covers/bags. This essentially means she has substituted for the same number of polythene bags. These bags are supplied to the local shopkeepers in Bhagalpur. 

Impact: Apart from saving the environment from pollution created by plastic bags, this enterprise has also provided jobs to women from her community. The product is also eco-friendly and can be easily discarded in the environment due to its high bio-biodegradability. Through this business, she has been able to support her family during hard times and has helped them realise their ability to work and to be self-sufficient. 

Prakash’s Toilet Ring making enterprise in Maheshkhunt, Khagaria, Bihar. 

Open defecation is a big problem in the village. Prakash has found a solution in the form of manufacturing toilet rings. These rings are quite cheap as compared to other toilet solutions. And takes less time and cost for installation. 

Till date, he has installed more than 60 toilet ring sets in the radius of 5 km from his village. 

Impact: There is an increased awareness about the usage of toilets in his community after he started his business. People have started understanding the health related risks that come with the old and traditional practice of going out to the fields to answer nature’s call. It has become safer for people, especially girls, as they don’t have to go out anymore. This enterprise has also created jobs for men from low income communities who were earlier facing trouble in finding work. 

• Inside Prakash's storybook (PDF)