From periods to climate change, this NGO is bringing awareness to Indians–one city at a time

At a young age, Gaurav Mishra realised the disparity between the ambitions of rural students like him and the resources available to them.

Nonetheless, Mishra—who belonged to Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district— scored a 99.87 percentile in CAT and secured admission to the Management Development Institute (MDI) in Gurugram. 

Much like Mishra, Sandy Khanda was troubled by the stigmas around menstrual health and women's rights. Growing up in Khanda, a village in Haryana’s Jind district, he recalls, "I saw my mother and sister could not go out to buy menstrual pads."  

In 2014, Khanda moved to Delhi to pursue a degree in engineering, but life had other plans. In April 2022, he met with a road accident for which he had to undergo 16 different surgeries and spent over a year in the hospital recovering. 

Though doctors had little hope, he beat the odds. "I found my purpose in life. That incident totally changed me.” 

He recalls, “I saw all the different phases of life—I kept lying on my back like a child. I would use a walker for support like an older person. But that phase gave me the power to do something different. I was given a second chance to live, and I wanted to give back to society." 

Khanda founded Green Pencil Foundation in October 2016 to focus attention on menstrual hygiene and climate education. In 2018, Khanda (28) and Mishra (31) met while volunteering for various social causes around the Delhi-NCR. Their passion for social change prompted Mishra to become a part of the organisation as its co-founder. In 2019, the Gurugram-based foundation was registered as an NGO.  

Slow and steady progress

Khanda describes the Green Pencil Foundation's mission as "an integrated approach of education, awareness, advocacy, and action." 

The foundation tackles a variety of challenges and stigmas. In terms of public health, it aims to destigmatise mental health and raise awareness about menstrual hygiene. 

Its project "Periods of Pride” provides free cloth pads to school children and raises awareness about menstrual health management. Similarly, "Project Happiness" aims to raise awareness about mental health. 

Green Pencil Foundation also helps people understand the importance of sustainable living and the impact of climate change. It spreads climate change awareness among school children and young graduates through workshops.  

According to Khanda, the workshops help children learn how to incorporate sustainable practices into their daily lives and develop sustainable habits to reduce their carbon footprint. 

Additionally, it has launched a "Green and Clean Faridabad Mission", which seeks to educate students about sustainable practices such as native tree plantation. Students are also provided with metal water bottles and cloth bags. 

Besides young school children, Khanda and Mishra are also focused on the development of India's youth. While Mishra mentors several students through his YouTube channel, the duo have also started the "Slum to School" initiative, which supports the education of children from underserved backgrounds. 

Success was gradual but meaningful for the Green Pencil Foundation. In 2018, it started conducting workshops in schools and colleges to promote menstrual hygiene management, which impacted the lives of 2,000 women and girls.  

The following year, it expanded operations to several Indian cities, including Delhi, Chandigarh, and Panchkula. In 2019 alone, the foundation impacted 10,000 women through menstrual and climate change education programmes. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, brought new challenges with it. Nonetheless, the foundation persevered and managed to reach 5,000 beneficiaries by launching the Mobile School Programme in collaboration with Navodaya Vidyalayas to help government school students overcome the challenges of online classes. 

Once the lockdown was lifted in 2022, it expanded its operations to Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Karnataka, among other states. As of 2024, the Green Pencil Foundation has reached 2 lakh people with its initiatives.

Akash Mahato, who took part in the Mobile School programme, recalls how the Foundation's support helped him secure admission to Azim Premji University. "I found out about BSW (Bachelors in Social Work) and MSW (Masters in Social Work) through them. When I wanted to go to Azim Premji University, I found out that even if I received a 100% scholarship, I would still have to make a security deposit. Green Pencil Foundation supported me with the amount." 

Similarly, Abhinandan Kumar, a volunteer with the foundation and a recipient of the Gandhi Fellowship, says, "I was interested in climate education. The foundation had done a lot of work in this area. As part of a meet-up in Delhi, we visited a slum near Mansarovar Park and began to teach students. I also helped run campaigns and plantation drives in schools. Over time, I became a team leader. I also got to work in collaboration with organisations like the Green Peace Foundation and Fridays for Future."

Small victories, big change 

Green Pencil Foundation's journey was not without its challenges, but the biggest impediment was raising funds. While it was difficult in the beginning, it formed successful partnerships with several CSR initiatives, including Imperial Auto Industries and Brevo. 

The foundation has a core team of 35 members and a volunteer base of 2,000 individuals from across India. For the founders, however, the journey has just begun. 

“We are expanding our CSR partnerships. We are also in the process of launching a new health programme, "Children's Protection from Climate Change", which will focus on government schools. We also want to conduct annual health checkups to gauge the impact of climate change on students’ health," says Khanda. 

He adds, "By 2027, we want to reach two million people across the country."