All through my childhood, I have been taught to value the importance of societal sustainability, which includes both the people and the environment. My parents have been bringing me to Umeed Home For Boys for many years, and after forming such a deep connection with the organization, I felt like it was time for me to contribute in a way that would that would not only make the children’s lives more enjoyable and comfortable, but also healthier and safer. Two years ago, I interned at Chintan, an environmental research and action group, and did a research report on food wastage in Delhi. That experience equipped me with the organizational and managerial skills to conduct a community service project of my own, and gave me the confidence to make my contribution to Umeed.
During my visits to the orphanage, I noticed a very high injury rate amongst the children playing at the playground, which was just a combination of rocks and hard dust. Moreover, even with the presence of a nurse at the orphanage, the children would fall sick as they slept on the floor, which was made of cement. These reasons motivated me to find a solution to improve the lives of the children at Umeed. Thus, The Prudence Project was born. The word prudence is the quality of acting with or showing care and thought for the future. I felt like this perfectly fits with the aim of the project: an initiative to support the children and promote environmental sustainability.
In order to prevent the children from being susceptible respiratory diseases (due to excess dust) and bone and muscle injuries, I installed 100% recycled interlocking rubber tiles across the playground. Rubber is the ideal material for this purpose as it is not only recycled, but also durable in harsh weather, easy to maintain and most importantly, prevent injuries and illnesses that the children were initially prone to.
Every person deserves and looks forward to a good night’s sleep, and it pained me to see that the children at Umeed were deprived of that. So, I installed the same recycled rubber matting inside a room of the dormitory where the children slept on hard cement flooring, which grew extremely cold in the winters and led to illnesses. Now, the installed recycled rubber not only protects them from the coolness but also provides them with a soft cushioning for more comfort. The matting is removable, so it can be taken up in the summers and re-installed in the winters again.
After a few months of the completion of this project, it pleases me to say that the rate of bone and muscle injuries, and respiratory diseases have decreased substantially. Also, the number of illnesses due to the cold weather was at an all time low this winter, according to a supervisor at the orphanage. This is an example of the utility and versatility of recycled material.
I found out about Global Recycling Day in October of last year and learned about the organization’s efforts to promote the use of recycled material and help people understand its importance and significance to restore the future of this planet. I am proud to say that The Prudence Project is the first of my small contribution towards this global initiative, and I hope this inspires and encourages people to take strides towards sustainability and a better future for our planet. In conclusion, I would like to thank all those who donated to The Prudence Project and Chintan for providing me with valuable guidance throughout initiative.
Arnav Sekhri is a class 11th Student at the British School and is an intern at Chintan. He has a passion for environmental sustainability and development.
