Ridhima Pandey

It is the time to realise that the Future will not only be a result of the past but also an influencer. People have been talking about Global Warming and rising water levels, from the past decade and countries have come together to sign the Montreal Protocol. Yet, the idea of sustainable development stays printed in the pages of books used to teach students but its statistics remain unnoted. Kids are the Future, and who else are better guardians of this very future than kids themselves? Ridhima Pandey, a 12 year old from Haridwar has taken an oath to trigger a change most of us wish we could. Drawing inspiration from her parents at the tender age of 5, she gathered courage to draft and file a petition in 2017 petition against the Government of India at National green tribunal.

Her first memory of being a harbinger of this change goes back to when Ridhima’s parents briefed her about the meaning and implications of climate change. She became infuriated about the reckless attitude of those around her and believed that exploiting nature at this rate will lead to catastrophic results. Since then she has been determined to become an environmentalist to contribute immensely towards mother nature. Drawing inspiration from her parents who work for welfare of wildlife and nature, she has a strong, underlying zeal to stand on the right side of history, while making one.

Ridhima travels across the world to attend various seminars and delivers meaningful speeches not just to fulfill her dream but to impart a sense of belonging towards nature among various others who are in search of inspiration. She has been a TEDx speaker in France, New York, Norway and Spain. This brilliant mind has achieved so much at an age where kids demand nurturing; she takes up the responsibility of nurturing the environment. When given multiple reasons, Nature can be a demon in disguise. Like any human being, the environment can feel an impact and revert accordingly. “We haven’t given the Earth enough reasons to feed us while we are scraping away its signs of existence everyday.”

Several schools in Delhi NCR have been welcoming this young mind to present her ideas and views on the consequences of Climate Change. A receiver of Rising Star

Award of Earth Day Network and a confident public speaker, Ridhima explains her airtight schedule with us on a typical day. “Travelling around the world is tedious, but there is a constant motivating factor within me that makes the entire process of activism amusing and pleasurable. Acknowledging what is right and what requires doing is a source of illumination in the process of personal growth.” Skipping school for seminars and other tours has not been very easy as coping up with assignments and projects before exams are quite challenging. Staying up a few nights has become common for Ridhima as she has to inculcate studies in travel and in any chance she gets to meet deadlines. However climbing mountains and breaking rocks have made her realize that she is as strong as she tells herself. Accomplishments are testimonials of self-worth when you know you are on the right path.

As they all say, nothing is impossible, given the right frame of mind. “Sometimes it gets hard to walk on the path you choose and sometimes it is easier to quit than to keep walking, but those are the moments when you have to realize that this too shall pass. And when you look back on your journey to the hall of fame, you will remember your hardships and your determination and most importantly the reason you have reached where you are because of your choices. This is the moment when you will be proud of not quitting!” shares the young xpert.