If you’ve ever wondered what hope looks like for our planet, meet 12-year-old Prasiddhi Singh, India’s youngest environmental leader and quite possibly its brightest green thumb. Known affectionately as a pint-sized powerhouse is turning her dreams into fruit-bearing forests, one sapling at a time.
With more than 150,000 trees planted before even becoming a teenager, Prasiddhi’s accomplishments read like a resume fit for a global changemaker twice her age.
She’s founded the Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, led environmental restoration efforts for mangroves and lakes, hosted a TEDx talk, and spoke at COP 28 and 29 at the UN Climate Change Summit. And we have a feeling she’s probably doing something incredible right this second too.
But where did this all begin?
According to Young Planet Leaders, it started when she was just 7 years old, after a devastating cyclone swept through her region. Rather than feel helpless, Prasiddhi grabbed a shovel. She planted her first trees as a response to disaster, and in doing so, she planted the seeds of a movement.
By age 8, she had already been honored with the Dal Puraskar, an Indian order of merit. At the time, she told the Times of India she had planted 14 “fruit forests” in government schools, offices, and community areas, all with the help of thousands of volunteers.
And these aren’t just your average groves.
Prasiddhi’s forests are biodiverse, edible landscapes that provide food, shelter, and sustainability to local communities. In her home state of Tamil Nadu, these “fruit forests” are blossoming into symbols of resilience, nutrition, and eco-conscious living.
Through her foundation, Prasiddhi runs workshops, classes, and community events built on the idea of a “3G Network” but not the phone kind. For Prasiddhi, 3G stands for:
- Generate your own oxygen
- Grow your own food
- Gift your efforts to the community
Armed with fierce determination, a radiant personality, and an environmental mission that’s already shaping policy and hearts alike, Prasiddhi isn’t just leading the next generation, she’s planting it.
And just think, she’s only 12.
