The Story of Malachite

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Malachite Nonprofit is currently a functional nonprofit organization that works towards promoting sustainability. So far, Malachite has worked with over 200 donors and volunteers and has helped almost 400 people. Not to mention, the organization has carried out several successful initiatives, including food drives and tree plantings. However, the beginning of this organization was not always as smooth sailing as it is now.

To understand how Malachite came to be, you first have to imagine an idealistic 8th-grade girl with a vision to clean the heavily polluted Bangalore streets. That girl (Mihika Jalisatgi) would later become the founder and president of our organization. The thing about visions is that they are not nearly as easy to accomplish as you think they would be. Hence, Mihika’s initial plan to convince her school to organize a cleanup was far from successful. But, the initiative was not entirely fruitless. 

“Instead of a cleanup,” her social studies teacher suggested, “you should start a sustainability club.”

That day, Mihika went home and meticulously created an eleven-slide PowerPoint, pitching the idea of a sustainability club in her school. Unfortunately, as the next school year rolled around, clubs were discontinued (due to the more study-focused approach her school decided upon).

It was time for Mihika to take things into her own hands. And that was what she did. Mihika turned to the most reliable and zealous people she could think of. They would later become the core team of Malachite. This group included Sparrsh - the grade 9’s tech support; Rikhil - the eager environment enthusiast; Kanishk - a recognized source of out-of-the-box ideas; and Diya - the perfectionist in design.

Together, they spent hours on a Google Meet, determining the best course of action. A name and a logo were created, but what was next? The organization would never get anywhere until events were put into motion. So, one day, out of Mihika’s sheer impulse, the Malachite core team ran from block to block to formulate a teaching campaign they could organize with the primary school students.

And just like that, the idea of Malachite Nonprofit had fully come together. The organization would be a student-led initiative that promoted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) by raising awareness and hosting events. Soon after, Malachite had a website, Instagram, and was running like it was always meant to.

So, there you have it - the story of a chaotic bunch of students trying to make an impact. Now, it is your turn. Join us at Malachite Nonprofit. You can start a Malachite branch at your school or volunteer with us. Every small action amounts to more than you would believe.