To say that Chidananda Murthy's childhood was difficult would be an understatement.
He was born in Doddaballapur, to Mahanthesh Aradhya, a power loom owner and Manjula, a homemaker. An eventual decline in revenue and rise in power tariff hit the household, pushing the family towards crippling poverty.At one point, his father's monthly income had dwindled to Rs 1,500, so, he decided to sell the power loom and began working as an accountant at a small shop.Coming from the background he did, when Murthy was unable to clear his Class 10 exams and dropped out of school, naysayers were quick to cast the stone of judgement. They said that a failure like him would amount to nothing.
But today, if you were to meet this same Class 10 dropout, you'd realise, a man's degree or qualification cannot determine their value or limit their potential to impact change.The 24-year-old today is not only ensuring that lakes don't run dry but is also protecting threatened forests and green belts in Karnataka. the youngster who began his journey into the social sector almost a decade ago says,
"There were groups from community colleges in the vicinity who travelled to our village to impart training to youth like me. It was there that I had the opportunity to attend workshops and short term courses on alternative career choices, sustainable living, conservation, naturalist-certification, lake restoration and leadership building.
Several projects he has worked on in the last eight years, including one in collaboration with the State Government of Karnataka to promote organic farming on a 100-acre land in Hubli, restoration of lakes and rivers and afforestation.
Today he leads his voluntary youth organisation known as Yuva Sanchalana and also works full-time for the Ashoka Trust For Research In Ecology and Environment (ATREE) as a field assistant.
Murthy also worked with the Nagadala to restore the Nagarakere lake in his native village of Doddaballapura.The experience that the young activist gained from the projects helped him form his own voluntary youth organisation called Yuva Sanchalana in 2011.The voluntary group operates on the money that its members shell from their own pockets and is not funded by any political party, state government or any private organisation.
In his final message, Murthy says, "Young people have the confidence and commitment to engage in social work. When given the right kind of support and direction, the youth will be instrumental in finding solutions to the most unresolved questions."
Source & Credit:https://www.thebetterindia.com