Kenya is miles away from India. A young contributor decided to bind both regions to support a cause that is dear to his heart.
Meet Krishna Arvind, a 16 year old high schooler from Chennai. He is passionate about environment and climate change and has an abiding interest in photography.
He decided to combine all his interests for a larger social cause. As a first step, Krishna prepared a detailed project report that highlighted the working of a solar energy system, solar PV (photo voltaic) panel among other things.
The next step was execution of the study undertaken. Nineteen solar panels each measuring about 7”6” feet in length and 3”9” feet in width were installed atop the Swami Dayananda Campus, Manjakkudi, Tamil Nadu.
“Of the four terraces in the campus, we selected the first one which is about 700 square feet in size. This building consumes 7,000 KWh a month,” says Krishna Arvind. He adds that during mornings, these panels can generate 230 MV and by mid morning, this can peak to 360 MV.
The report concludes with calculations and payback. In his workings, Krishna estimates a pay back period of 51 months with an annual energy bill saving to the Swami Dayananda College of Arts & Science pegged at Rs. 1,62,360.
The Swami Dayananda Educational Trust (SDET), an associate trust of AIM for Seva runs 14 projects in the spheres of rural education, healthcare, community development, traditional knowledge systems and sustainable living at our Founder’s birthplace in Manjakkudi.
Similarly, a 5KW solar power system has also been installed at the Swami Dayananda Krupa Care, Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, thanks to this young boy’s efforts. A project of AIM for Seva, this residential facility provides lifetime care and support to adults with developmental delays. The annual savings work out to Rs. 46,800 out here, with a pay back period of 7 years.
The final act was a call to action given by the young school goer. Last year, Krishna ventured into the wild at Masai Mara, Kenya. Vignettes from Mara, a beautifully designed coffee table collector’s item is a culmination of that effort. It has some stunning visuals of the Masai Mara in Kenya, home to the wildebeest, hippos, majestic elephants and some big predators. “Some species are critically endangered and facing extinction. We were lucky to have these sightings in Lake Nakuru National Park,” writes Krishna in the book. The book carries interesting information on an endangered species of the giraffe and how they take care of their young ones. In addition, zebras and their sleep patterns are also detailed in the book!
He has managed to raise Rs. 16,45,001 lakhs from Vignettes from Mara for the solar panel projects.
Thank you Krishna for your most wonderful and thoughtful gesture.
