Since 2019, more than 1 million saplings have been planted in 978 Punjab villages. For education, 14,000 students have been enrolled in 54 ‘Learn Labs’ and through 263 sports centers, they have got the opportunity to fulfill their sports dreams. Almost 122 villages are managing the waste effectively.
This huge influence in the state is the result of Sunny (Gurpreet) Singh’s efforts over the years.
As a young boy, Sunny was always a child with many questions in his mind – whether it was for school projects or things he saw as life progressed.
“I see construction workers and domestic workers returning from work with their young children my age. The children do not go to school, they have no future because of the circumstances of their birth. Their parents cannot educate them as much as they want,” he recalls. Uttam India.
Sunny moved to Seattle for further education and started working for companies like Expeditors International and Microsoft. In 1996, he started Edifex – a healthcare company. While he was doing exceptionally well in his job, the urge to do something for his motherland remained with him.
“As a kid, when I looked at those kids, I felt bad for them, but couldn’t do anything about it. But as a man with my own business, I knew I could do something because I had the means, talent and resources,” he says.
Sunny came to India in 2014 to found the Roundglass Foundation, an organization that aims to promote everything from education to waste management and sustainable living in Punjab. So far, he says, 1,442 villages in 23 districts including Fatehgarh, Mansa, Sasnagar have been reached.
Every citizen of Punjab to grow together
Sunny explains, “What we want to do through our initiative is to make 12,500 villages in Punjab environmentally clean, economically sustainable so they don’t have to leave their villages. We have reached 1,500 villages so far,’ says Sunny.
The foundation has four initiatives – Sustain Punjab, Har Punjab, Sports Punjab and Learn Punjab.
Explaining how each one works, he says, “Through Learn Punjab, we are trying to educate village children to understand how the world works. We don’t do textbook knowledge. Our goal is to help them think out of the box and help them acquire better communication skills. People’s way of thinking in villages can be very limited. We aim to break that barrier. Courses cover everything from agriculture, and AI to space science.
“Sports Punjab makes children take out an hour or two a day to play sports. The idea was simple, I drew four lines and gave four footballs to some kids. Soon more and more accumulated, and now, we have tennis and volleyball courts, soccer fields, etc., professional coaches. ”
“Kids walk out of the learning lab, refreshed and come to sports training. Their schedule is packed – they study, they play and they go home. Now their lives have purpose rather than play Street barmoving around or, worse, getting into drugs,” he continues.
Talking about Sustain Punjab, he says, ‘We plant small forests and trees in villages and the villagers take care of them. We also make compost from the waste from the house. All of them are organically made and can be used as fertilizers by farmers. This has awakened the sense of cleanliness in the villagers and they have started complaining to the village council if the garbage picker does not come even for a day. We have reached 122 villages for waste management but hope to expand it to every village in the state,’ he says.
“Another initiative of the foundation is Har Punjab, where we have set up self-help groups and a sanitary pad unit where they learn how to make pads, produce them and earn money. We also help them set up beauty parlours, etc., with the skills they have. To use and help them become financially independent. When they are not under the male members of the family, they can stand against abuse and early marriage. For the daughter when she is independent would stand,’ he adds.
Rajendra Kaur, a victim of domestic violence, was given a job in a flower nursery and is now able to earn a living. She left her husband’s home in 2020 after suffering continuous violence for seven years. His father introduced him to the foundation, where he was trained in relevant knowledge and skills under the Har Punjab initiative.
“My husband used to beat me for no reason. Everyone forced me to give him a second chance. Now my life has changed a lot,’ she says.
“Working at the nursery gave me the courage to stand up for myself. Before I was always stressed and work helps me calm down. I am very happy because I can give my children a better future,’ she says.
‘My heart is in Punjab’
Although Sunny has spent most of his life in Seattle, he says his heart is in rural Punjab.
I have a special relationship with Punjab. I spent a lot of time with the villagers and their hospitality and the affection they give you will make you cry. You have never experienced the warmth and love they shower,” he said.
Sunny says that she feels connected and reconciled with the people of Punjab. “I feel that these are my people, my land, my culture and I resonate with them and therefore want to work for them. That is why I feel I am the right person to do this work in Punjab,” he said.
The Roundglass Foundation works on an open source policy that focuses on helping similar organizations and also teaching them the tricks of the trade.
“That’s why I wanted to go beyond basic corporate social responsibility. I wanted to create a place that is actively involved and taking responsibility for social change. I see a problem and immediately want to find a solution. I want other organizations to come and learn with us and others.” Spread the work across states as well.
“I hope that what Roundglass is doing in Punjab inspires and inspires other Sunny Singhs to say ‘let me do the same.'”
“My learning is that I want to uplift my people and serve humanity. If someone comes to me with an option to make a billion dollars or do a good job, I will give up the money. I want to leave a better place for my children and the children of the world. I will continue to do this for the rest of my life,’ he said.
Want to contribute to Sunny’s efforts or volunteer for his work? You can reach him at official Website of the Roundglass Foundation.
Edited by Divya Sethu