Two Mumbai girls and the son of a Parbhani farmer, all in their twenties, have been chosen for the Queen’s Young Leaders award for their contribution in bringing about social change within communities.
CareNx, 27-year-old Aditya Kulkarni’s startup, aims to reduce maternal and child mortality, while Wadala girl Deane de Menezes, 24, works to provide eco-friendly sanitary solutions and raise awareness to end embarrassment faced by women, especially school- and college-going girls, during menstruation. Trisha Shetty, 27, has been recognised for promoting gender equality and ending sexual violence. All three will receive their awards in June next year from Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace in London.
Mr. Kulkarni says pregnant women would rarely get help from their families in Ukkalgaon, the small village in Parbhani where he grew up. “Regular check-ups were probably last on the priority list, as travelling to a health centre or spending money on transport felt like a burden.” A few years ago, a colleague at an NGO he started with some friends suffered a miscarriage. “We saw her undergoing that trauma. She hadn’t been going for regular antenatal check-ups, and said if she had, her baby could have been saved. It left an impact on me.”
He developed a software platform comprising a portal, a mobile app and a portable antenatal testing kit that can be carried by health workers. The kit helps with tests for blood pressure, foetal heart rate, blood glucose, haemoglobin, urine protein and ECG. “The data is fed to the app, which sounds an alert if the mother’s health is deteriorating,” Mr. Kulkarni, now living in Kanjurmarg, says. At present, he is working with governments in seven States including Maharashtra, and his initiative has reached over 30,000 women. “I feel honoured to have been selected for this award.”
Ms. de Menezes, a research analyst, started Red Is The New Green, a project under which low-cost sanitary napkin dispensers and incinerators have been installed in 11 city schools. The project, she says, has a two-pronged approach. “It has reduced female absenteeism due to menstruation, and helped in improving disposal of related waste.” The project now covers hospitals, colleges and self-help groups.
SheSays, the non-profit organisation run by Ms. Shetty, seeks to end gender-based discrimination and empower women with a multi-disciplinary approach that includes sanitation, education, healthcare and public safety.
“As social activists, we thrive when surrounded by inspired young citizens,” says Ms. Shetty, who has also been the UN youth leader for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). “I can’t wait to meet the other winners and hear their stories.”
