Clean India project continues

Last year, Local Actions winner Shagun Sharma and her team from Vrikshit Foundation implemented the Clean India Project, which sought to merge road safety with art to campaign for proper waste management and climate action to improve road safety. One of the project's hallmarks was to clean improper waste disposal sites at identified high-risk locations, something they’ve continued to work on. 

Through their team of volunteers, the project was able to reach and improve 50 locations in Delhi by removing heaps of trash and by beautifying walls with awareness graffiti that highlight essential road safety reminders. 

Apart from working on improvements on the ground, Shagun and her team are also bringing their road safety advocacy messages through social media, reporting on the work they’ve done, and inviting more young people to get involved in their efforts.

Photo: Vrikshit Foundation

From Vrikshit Foundation’s Instagram: “The transformation of this place in itself is a testimony to how Vrikshit vouches towards the standards of the goals it sets. The way this filthy, unhygienic place has been turned into a beautiful, charming to the eye location, the same way Vrikshit foundation wishes to transform the personalities of many people. This place is intended to host English Speaking Classes and also act as a library by Vrikshit foundation, dedicated to all the underprivileged and needy people, at the cost of just love and affection. This being one of many, it'll surely set benchmarks for our work to come! Jai Hind!”

The project uses the hashtags #CleanIndia and #ArtForRoadSafety for #ClaimingOurSpace in its campaign to implement a comprehensive youth-led project involving art, community mobilization and awareness, peer-to-peer engagement, and advocacy to use their existing work at the intersection of waste management, climate change, and road safety for engaging in evidence-based campaigning and advocacy for the cause.