Moksha Roy is an Indian-British student who is the world’s youngest sustainability advocate. She made headlines in 2023 when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak awarded her the Point of Light Award for her extraordinary dedication to sustainable development.
We can all do small things that make a big difference to everyone around us. ” — Moksha Roy
Wiki/Biography
Moksha Roy was born on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 (age 7; as of 2022). Her zodiac sign is Libra. Moksha is from Bushey, Hertfordshire.
family
parents
Her parents, Dr. Sourav Roy and Dr. Ragini G. Roy, are scientists, authors and philanthropists. In 2018, they established the Greater Synergy (CBS), a civil society organization of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; the organization aims to inform, inspire and engage global stakeholders to achieve all 17 United Nations goals by 2030. Sustainable Development Goals.
Moksha Roy’s parents
sustainable development activities
Microplastic-free 2023
Moksha Roy has been involved in the Microplastic Free 2030 campaign since she was three years old. The campaign, supported by CBS, aims to educate more than 1 billion children and their families about microplastic pollution and inspire them to take action against it. Moksha has contributed to CBS’ educational outreach, particularly to underprivileged school children in India. She also created an awareness video about microplastic pollution that CBS used in its educational courses.
Moksha Roy attends an educational session organized by CBS under the ‘Microplastic Free 2030’ campaign at a school in India
As part of the campaign, Moksha wrote a letter to Santa for the Plastic Free Christmas 2021 competition, asking for plastic-free gifts and encouraging her peers in the UK to do the same.
Moksha Roy’s letter to Santa Claus
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
After learning about the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) from her parents, Moksha Roy was surprised to find that many of her family and friends were unaware of the goals and their importance. In discussions with her parents about how to educate children around the world about these global goals, they suggested that world leaders could ask teachers to incorporate the goals into curricula around the world.
Letter to world leaders
In 2021, Moksha took the initiative to write to the British Prime Minister, asking him to encourage British teachers to educate children about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Since then, she has written more than 193 letters to world leaders. She received responses from leaders, governments and representatives of 22 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Croatia, Namibia, Malta, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Portugal and Norway.
Moksha Roy’s letter to world leaders
Notably, UK Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi acknowledged her request and even considered it in the forthcoming Education and Children’s Services Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy; indeed , in April 2022, the global goals were officially included in the strategy. Nadhim Zahavi wrote,
We shared the first version of our strategy in November 2021. We will consider your helpful ideas as we continue to develop the final version, which will be ready by April this year (2022). “
Several other world leaders, including the Mayor of London, have also assured Moksha that they will consider her request when revising the national curriculum.
A collage of responses Moksha Roy received from dignitaries on her sustainability efforts
environment and children
Moksha is also committed to animal welfare and child-focused initiatives. She actively raises funds for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and contributes to the protection of snow leopards, penguins, polar bears and their habitats. Furthermore, Moksha decided to give up her birthday gift. Instead, she asked her friends and family to donate to UNICEF UK to mark her special day. As a result, she raised around £350 for Unicef UK in 2022.
Letter of thanks from UNICEF UK to Moksha for raising funds
Awards and Honors
- 20 October 2022: British Citizenship Youth Award (BCyA)
Moksha Roy wins BCyA
- July 20, 2023: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak awarded Point of Light Award
Facts/Trivia
- In an interview about Moksha’s early inclination toward environmentalism, her mother, Dr. Ragini G. Roy, shared an inspiring incident. When Moksha was just three years old, she expressed a desire to buy glitter for her nursery event; however, being environmentalists, Ragini and her husband Sourav told Moksha that glitter is a type of microplastic , may harm the earth. To their surprise, Moksha responded that she wanted to save the environment, marking the beginning of her environmental activism. Moksha said,
I want to save mermaids, fish and octopuses! “
- As Moksha grew older, her commitment to environmental conservation deepened. She made a conscious decision to consume as little as possible, especially clothes and toys that contain plastic. Additionally, she started recycling and donating items to raise money for less fortunate children and inspired her friends to do the same. In addition, she tried to help animals and insects in a small way, building an insect hotel and a hedgehog hotel, providing sugar water for bees in the summer, and planting wildflowers in her garden to help bees and other insects find food.
- Moksha Roy runs an eponymous YouTube channel, which she uses as a platform to raise environmental awareness and encourage others to do their bit to protect the planet. She often uses the power of storytelling through videos to communicate and promote her environmental awareness.
- Moksha often uses her creativity to advocate for the environment; she conveys her message through writing, painting, and various art forms.
Moksha Roy made a family of owls out of scrap materials including toilet paper tubes, dried creeper and leaves, and used cupcake boxes; the project won her entry into the 2021 RSPB Wild Art Competition Won runner-up in
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education