This Mission Is In Honour Of My Guardian Angel

My name is Surabhi Singh, and I am 25 years old. I am from Dehradun, and Mission Clean Doon results from my suffering.

I graduated from IMT Ghaziabad with a master's degree in business administration. But I always wished to study law, and thanks to my grandfather's unwavering support, I finally started living the second half of my life and enrolled in a law school in Dehradun. This allowed me to stay close to him while pursuing my passion. My Baba was a wonderful and loving person. He was always there for me and cared for me in every sense. He always inspired me to follow my dreams, attain my goals, and improve my life. He has always been and will continue to be my favourite human being.

He has been my guardian angel throughout my life, and he continues to be so.

Just as I believed I had all I needed, my grandfather passed away. I was his caregiver, and the thought of losing him in front of my eyes began to torment me at night. Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and sleep paralysis plagued me. Because he had raised me, it was far more difficult than I had anticipated. I wanted to let out all of the grief I'd been holding in for the past two months. I now wanted to concentrate on preserving my Baba's legacy and name, but I had no idea how I would accomplish it. The first thing that came to mind was tree plantation, and it was then that I began researching Dehradun's forest cover. After nearly a month of study, I discovered that Dehradun was not even among India's top 300 cleanest cities.

On the 8th of June 2021, I established a page on Instagram called "Mission Clean Doon" and promised myself that I would go on plogging drives every Sunday; little did I suspect that there was already an army of like-minded people eager to join this community.

With the support of my father and a few sanitation workers, I arranged the first clean-up drive in my alley on the 13th of June, 2021.

My grandfather was always close to nature, planting trees and never littering, and there was no better way to honour him.

We presently have 1500 Instagram followers, with more than 200 of them already on my volunteer list. My list of kind volunteers is vast, and they deserve recognition.

In just nine drives, we were able to get rid of over 400 kg of uncollected waste. For free, plastic and glass bottles (about 60kg) have been handed to a nearby scrap dealer.

This is my way of showing my appreciation for the work they do for us while also guaranteeing them some extra income.

At Mission Clean Doon, waste separation is a top priority.

I purchase compostable, plastic-free bags made from plant-based materials to gather the waste. I recently partnered with a paver block company that is willing to accept our non-recyclable waste and recycle it into cemented paver blocks. This is a terrific alternative to the standard bricks available on the market. Mission Clean Doon has already exceeded my expectations. People now look up to our community, and I want to contribute. It has had a significant influence in its early stages, and I am confident that if I turn it into an NGO, it will be able to make substantial improvements.

One day, we'll be known for much more than our spectacular scenery, and that day isn't far away.

Mission Clean Doon is not a selfless project; I started it to divert myself from the pain that had built up in my heart as a result of the demise of a beloved person. These clean-up initiatives have helped me in ways that I can't express in words. Nowadays, jumping into various social networking sites and yelling about what isn't right is a simple choice.

However, keeping things low-key, less toxic, and constructive becomes even simpler if you take the road less travelled.

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