Grantee News Update: “I don’t want to wait until I’m older”: Ananya Singh Keeps “Greening Forward” Moving

by | Aug 23, 2019 | Seeds: Our Blog

Recently appointed the new CEO of Greening Forward—a NY-based youth environmental sustainability training program founded by TPP Grantee Charles Orgbon—Ananya Singh, 16, represents the socially conscious, modern-day teen: accomplished, ambitious, and ready to change the world.

Singh, who was mentored by Orgbon since she was 12, became passionate about activism and environmental sustainability at a very young age and soon after became an animal-rights activist and vegan. Through her work at the Youth Empowered Action (YEA) camp and the National Youth Leadership Council, Singh learned leadership skills, mentoring skills—and how to create a killer strategic plan.

She’s putting these skills to use right away as Greening Forward’s new CEO. “I’m very excited about strategic planning,” Singh says. “Our goals are to create pathways for engagement as well as more opportunities to stay engaged. We’re going to strengthen partnerships with organizations that have a youth voice. Together, we’ll seek to address climate change and other important environmental issues.”

Singh also recognizes that, in some cases, she may need some help from adults—such as when she pressured U.S. Representative Leonard Lance to divest from fossil fuels and he ultimately lost the re-election–but she wants her own seat at the table. “It’s important to talk about youth partnerships with adults, to find someone you can trust who can be an ally and amplify your voice. But, it needs to be an equitable partnership.”

Most important, though, is Singh’s support network: her family, friends, and the like-minded teens she surrounds herself with: “I’ve met so many other passionate young people [who are] doing amazing things in their communities, young people who want to give back … I don’t want to wait until I’m older to make a difference. And neither do they.”

TPP congratulates Ananya Singh on her new appointment and is thrilled to support these incredible young changemakers.

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In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing.

Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter.

The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant.

#art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject
WINNERS!!
Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 

Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects. 

Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices. 

Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡 

@hsi_india 
@hsiglobal 
@manjushreeabhinav 
@earthling_anna_raturi 

#animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india
🌟 Volunteer Week 🌟  Celebrating our family of Grant Advisors!

Today we celebrate our grant advisors dedicated to #animalprotection .

🔸 April King (Montenegro/United States) 
🔸 Elphas Ongongo (Kenya) 
🔸 Mohini Sharma (India) 
🔸 Evans Okumu (Kenya) 
🔸 Fernanda García Naranjo Ortega (Mexico)
🔸 Leandro Franz (Brazil) 
🔸 Jeremy Gregory (United States)
🔸 Kate Luke (Australia)
🔸 Andrew Alexander (United States) 

@granjitatyh 
@kotorkitties 
@littleoaksanctuary 

#volunteerweek 
#animalrights  #animalwelfare  #heartivism  #grants  #animaladvocacy #advisors