How to contribute towards sustainability?

The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. The SDGs have been adopted by 195 countries, are a crucial and effective way to mitigate poverty, improve economic growth and overall raise the living standards of people all over the world. Everyone needs to work together towards sustainability.

What are some things I did to contribute towards the SDGs?

Small actions can lead to big changes.

You don’t have to be a grand organization or have a huge fund to start working towards the SDGs. I myself am a tenth grader. These goals can be achieved by taking small, yet impactful steps towards a better future. When I learnt about these goals, I immediately formed a strong opinion that the SDGs are our definite way towards a better future, and hence constantly aspire to work towards them through methods that are achievable on an individual basis. 

Over the past few months during Covid-19, I believe that I have made a strong social impact in terms of the important Sustainable Development Goals, education and hunger. I have given a gist of what I did below, for ideas and inspiration.

SDG 4: Quality Education

In terms of education, I created a super easy to navigate website named Tech Tutorials which aims to educate a unique group of people who are usually unthought of, the elderly and also the poor. During the pandemic, our world became virtual, in which everything from buying groceries to getting a cab to ordering essential medicines, to school and to work, all became an online thing.

The two main groups I concentrated on were the ones who needed help with familiarising themselves with this new technology, which in this era and in specifically this situation, had become a necessity. My website provides simple instructions aided with screenshots of how to use websites like Amazon, Swiggy and PharmEasy to their full potential, educating people and making life easier overall. It has already received loads of positive feedback about how it has helped multiple people in India, as well as abroad. The way I was able to do all of this, was because of my time management skills.

Helpful articles:

How to be better at time management

How to set smart goals

TechTutorials

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

In terms of hunger, there was a migrant worker crisis  in which the millions of people who had come to metros to get better job opportunities were forced to return back to their villages in 2020. During this time, due to the dearth of a source of money, loads of people were left starving. A charity project initiated by World Hunger Warriors started distributing food packets to the people desperately waiting at Palace Grounds, Bangalore. I got strongly motivated to help out these people in need and played a huge role in this initiative by preparing around 30 meals a day for the migrant workers for around 2 months. 

Tips on how you can contribute towards the SDGs

• Educate yourself and the people around you

The first step on our road to sustainability is to spread awareness, increase your knowledge on SDGs and discuss potential solutions to these worldwide problems with your friends and family. 

• Start small fundraisers

Although you may not have worked out your definite plan yet, you can raise funds and volunteer for companies/projects who are already working towards these SDGs. It is a  great way to kickstart momentum and gain connections.

• Live more sustainably

This is the most widely discussed course of action towards these SDGs, however it is not implemented due to lack of motivation. Many people think, what change will it bring about if only I ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’, use a bicycle for short distance travel, or use cloth bags instead of plastic ones’. However, this is a misperception, small changes do matter. Slowly, people around you will get encouraged seeing you. The whole thing will eventually become a collective and impactful action.

As you can see, you don’t have to have a great background experience to work towards these goals. All that is required is sheer hard work, determination and dedication. You can start by implementing your ideas through an individual-based method, and scale it up eventually. 

These projects were a small part of my endeavours towards a better, more sustainable future…what will be yours?