By Vansh Saini, a 2026 People of Action: Champion of Tomorrow
In 2022, I was 16 and president of my Interact club at Hansraj Model School. There, I noticed something I couldn’t ignore — children of construction workers in my neighbourhood with no real access to consistent education; a girl carrying bricks after school; a boy who couldn’t read at 12.
This was not because they weren’t smart, it was because nobody showed up for them.
With my fellow Interactors, I launched Shiksha Ki Seedhi: a simple weekend program offering life skills and basic tutoring to children of construction workers.
We started small: storytelling sessions, hygiene workshops, recycled notebooks. But the spark ignited; kids showed up hungry to learn, parents began to see change.
In 2023, I chartered the Rotaract Club Of Delhi Genesis Midwest, and we scaled it. We added weekend schools teaching digital literacy, public speaking, English, math, and science to more than 70 kids every weekend. Subjects also included life skills programming for leadership, communication, financial literacy, sustainability, and eco-responsibility.
Three years later, we have reached more than 150 children, involved more than 40 volunteers, and logged more than 1,000 hours of service. That girl now carries books, not bricks; she wants to be a teacher someday. That young boy now reads fluently. Parents, once skeptical, cheer us on.
In March 2026, Rotary International named me a People of Action: Champion of Tomorrow honoree — one of six in the world, and all under age 30.
I am thankful to Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo for this honour, to my district leadership for believing in young trailblazers, to my club, and to my mentors for their unwavering support. To every volunteer, Interactor, and Rotaractor who gave their Saturday morning to children who needed them there — this belongs to you.
Service Above Self isn’t just a motto; it’s about youth leading youth, about breaking cycles. At first, it didn’t feel right to share this on LinkedIn as something I only achieved by myself. I’m sharing this now because I realize someone may need to hear this.
You don’t need to be ready. You don’t need funding, a team, or a perfect plan. I started Shiksha Ki Seedhi at 16 with recycled notebooks and borrowed space. That’s literally it. “Where a child is born should not define the opportunities they receive.”
What’s something you started before you were ready?
https://blog.rotary.org/2026/07/07/the-ladder-we-built-before-we-were-ready/