“What others saw as garbage, I saw as a calling. Growing up in Chennai, overflowing bins and careless dumping were part of everyday life. But when I moved abroad after marriage, living in places like Australia and Belgium, I was struck by their spotless streets and waste segregation. It wasn’t just a rule; it was a way of life.

That habit stayed with me. When we returned to India, I continued segregating waste. But every morning, I’d step out onto my balcony and see two overflowing bins right outside our apartment-cleared, only to be filled again. I thought, if I can learn waste management, why not teach others?

Through a friend, I discovered Namma Ooru Foundation and began composting at home with a simple 50-liter aerated bin. Volunteering with them opened my eyes to the magnitude of waste Chennai generates, and the powerful role citizens can play in managing it. We worked with schools, temples and other communities, yet in my own neighborhood, little had changed.

So I took the first step – door to door, one conversation at a time. With support from the Chennai corporation and Mr.Ramki from Enviro waste management company in 2018, I learned that if 100 households segregated waste properly, it could be processed responsibly instead of dumped. And continuing now with the help and support from Urbaser Sumeet waste management company. Ramki and Urbaser Sumeet are waste management companies in Chennai (outsourced by GCC).

Some welcomed the idea. Others shut their doors. But a few joined me. That’s how ROKA – Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association, was born!

Together, we have installed a decentralized wet waste management system in the community as a model for others to replicate, advocated for micro-composting centers and promoted a sustainable lifestyle.

People often speak of climate change and global warming, forgetting that mismanaged waste contributes to directly releasing methane, polluting ground water and what not. One single family generates less than 1kg of waste daily. Imagine the difference if every household learned to manage it.

From speaking in schools to partnering with organizations, our small group of volunteers has created big ripples. And through it all, my husband and son have been my pillars, living this life right alongside me.

There are tough days, but moments like a 94-year-old stranger calling to cheer me on remind me, this matters! We work for our children’s future. Let’s also fight for the planet they’ll inherit.

If not now, when?”