They won this Saturday a prestigious world award for their commitment to pollution due to household waste in New Delhi.
Vihaan and Nav Agarwal, 17 and 14, are the 2021 International Children's Peace Prize winners for developing a system that separates recyclable waste and organizes garbage collection in thousands of homes.
The Dutch foundation KidsRights, organizer of the event, praised their “courage and commitment to fight pollution” in New Delhi, the most polluted city in the world.
As for the two young brothers, they took the opportunity to urge the leaders of the planet to act against climate change: “Our message would be that you must act.
So many children around the world are taking action, ”said Vihaan, when asked what he would say to world leaders at the COP26 climate conference.
“Another message would be 'Don't get in our way',” he added in a video conference interview.
"Our waste should not go there, our waste should not fuel this fire",
“To all the young people who maybe watching this and reading this, you should never fear climate change,” Nav says.
Sometimes it's overwhelming, but you just have to take a step, and when you do, it's just amazing the amount of change you can actually create as a person ”.
The idea for their initiative, “One Step Greener”, came to them after the collapse of the Ghazipur landfill in 2017, which killed two people and further increased pollution.
A third of air pollution in New Delhi is caused by the burning of waste in landfills.
“Our waste shouldn't go there, our waste shouldn't be fueling this fire,” says Vihaan.
They succeed in particular Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai
The brothers started at home, separating recyclable materials from other waste, and then created a WhatsApp group in their neighborhood to rally several households.
The adventure began with 15 households in 2018, they were then 14 and 11 years old.
Today, 1,500 households are involved, as well as offices and schools.
“It's one thing to preach, but it's another to provide a solution and that's what we're trying to do,” says Vihaan.
The boys' initiative, which operates in New Delhi and a neighboring city, could soon be developed in Calcutta (northeast India) and is arousing international interest.
Vihaan and Nav received the award at a ceremony in The Hague (The Netherlands), an “incredible honor” for them.
They succeed in particular the Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist, former winners of the prize.
Every year since 2005, it has rewarded a minor for his commitment to children's rights.
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