Indian surgeon performs thousands of free palate surgeries each year
Dr. Subodh Singh, the plastic surgeon who reached fame by performing free corrective surgeries on children born with cleft lip/palate, attributes his philosophy of generosity to his father, who died when he was young, and his mother who passed last year. “In every cleft child who has come to Read More...
This all-female rainforest team is protecting India’s endangered flora
One of the most alarming effects of climate change is the toll it takes on global biodiversity. While these impacts are only expected to exacerbate over time if we don’t act with urgency, some natural parts of the world are already feeling the sting of global warming. Among these places is Read More...
Familial Forestry teaches villagers in India that trees are a part of the family
Shyam Sunder Jyani is a professor of sociology in India, but his passion project for the last 15 years has been tree planting. He was inspired by the sparse tree coverage at the campus he worked at back in 2003. With help from his class, he was able to replace the dying trees around the college Read More...
Bacteria can filter toxic metals out of wastewater to make it drinkable
From recycling car batteries to tackling plastic pollution, bacteria has been increasingly under the microscope of scientists working to provide solutions to some of the most challenging global issues. Most recently, researchers in India have discovered a strain of bacteria that can filter Read More...
Tall, bark, and handsomeーHow marriage can save a tree
We at The Optimist Daily often write about how essential trees are to our mental and physical health, as well as how they provide an important balance to planetary conditions which are too numerous to name. Trees become even more useful on all these counts as they age. The older the tree, the Read More...
India adopts new holistic approach to address homelessness
Governments often address the problem of homelessness with band-aid solutions like placing the unsheltered in shelters, only to have them back on the streets after a short while. However, a newly developed project in Rajasthan, India, is striving to change these temporary fixes with a more holistic Read More...
Filterless air purification system turns captured pollution into building tiles
India is home to 22 of the world's 30 most polluted cities, contributing to high levels of lung and heart disease. Growing up in Mumbai, Angad Daryani experienced the negative health consequences of smog in the form of childhood asthma. Seeking a solution, he came up with the idea to take soot and Read More...
This nonprofit trains patients' families to become expert caregivers
In India, it is common for some family members to take time off (sometimes weeks) to accompany and support a hospitalized relative, especially if they are moved to another city for treatment. However, these family members’ tasks are limited to making pharmacy runs to purchase medicine and Read More...
Plastic crisis: India will ban single-use plastic items by 2022
With growing awareness about the huge environmental threat of single-use plastics, countries around the world, like Chile and New Zealand, have ramped up their efforts against plastic pollution by strategically banning disposable plastics. Now India is committing to a plastic-free future as well. Read More...
Priyanka Baira leads the movement to end child marriage in India
The Covid-19 crisis put many people at risk. Whether that risk is related to mental or physical health, financial stability, or, for young girls in India, the risk of being forced into marriage and never obtaining a proper education. According to Childline India, there was a 17 percent increase Read More...