Changemaker: From rural roots to national impact

In 2014, Khanda moved to Gurugram to pursue engineering, but the urban landscape presented its own set of challenges

In the heartlands of Haryana, where patriarchal traditions and agrarian struggles dominate social discourse, a silent revolution is being led by Sandy Khanda. Born in Khanda village of Jind district, Khanda witnessed social injustice, inequality, and environmental neglect first-hand. But instead of toeing the line, he channelled his energies into ensuring development, emerging as a dynamic youth changemaker with a pan-India presence.

Sandy Khanda, founder of Green Pencil Foundation. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Today, he spearheads the Green Pencil Foundation, a youth-led non-profit dedicated to climate action, menstrual hygiene, sustainable development, and public health care access for marginalised communities.

“I want touch more lives. I want to set up sanitary pads vending machines in rural areas and continue my focus on encouraging education for the girl child. My plan is to set up sanitary vending machine in each village so that they can easily get it without any hesitation,” he said.

Born in a lower-income farming household, Khanda’s early life was shaped by the harsh realities of rural India. He witnessed gender-based violence, oppression of khap panchayats, and the devastating impact of debt on families. “I saw honour killings, girls being denied education, and green cover vanishing overnight. These weren’t just news stories—they were my reality,” he said.

In April 2016, he was hit by a speeding bus—an accident that left him fighting for his life. During his three-month admission to a private hospital and then AIIMS, Delhi, he endured 16 surgeries. The incident changed his life, Khanda said, detailing how he conceived the Green Pencil Foundation from his hospital bed.

“I remember staring at the ICU ceiling, wondering if I would ever walk again. That stillness gave me clarity—my life had to stand for something bigger,” he said.

What began as modest campaigns in Gurugram now has a pan-India presence, impacting over 200,000 people across more than 15 cities. The organisation’s flagship campaign, “Periods of Pride”—to provide eco-friendly cloth pads and increase menstrual hygiene awareness among girls—has now reached 400 schools across Faridabad, Gurugram, Delhi, Noida, Ambala, Panchkula, Mahendergarh, Pune, Mumbai, Nanded, Shimla, Patna, Jamshedpur, Hyderabad, Imphal, and several remote villages of Haryana, among others.

Among other notable campaigns are the “One Home, One Tree”, which encourages families to plant native tree species, “Climate Chaupal” for localised dialogues on climate justice, and “Slum to School,” which provides education and hygiene kits to underprivileged children.

Khanda proudly said that the foundation’s initiatives are deeply aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and government missions, such as the Viksit Bharat 2047 and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Khanda also runs “Sustainable Practices Workshops”, aimed at shaping eco-conscious lifestyles among the youth. These workshops have been conducted in 150 schools and colleges across Faridabad, Gurugram, Delhi, Noida, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. The sessions emphasise experiential learning and behaviour change, encouraging students to adopt sustainable lifestyle practices.