Indian-origin 7-year-old schoolgirl Moksha Roy wins UK PM’s Points of Light award

An seven-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl, who started volunteering for a United Nations' sustainability initiative against microplastic pollution when she was just three, has been awarded the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award. Moksha Roy, who received the award from Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden last week, has the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate. Moksha has been recognised for volunteering for several sustainability campaigns, including raising funds to help children in need.

“Moksha has set an excellent example in her work championing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has gone to significant lengths to have these included in the school curriculum and has been in communication with leaders all over the world to encourage them to consider this,” said Dowden.

Moksha has also assisted in educational sessions for deprived schoolchildren in India. “I am very happy to receive the Points of Light award. I hope both children and adults get to understand that caring for the planet and its people and making small changes to everyday life should not be just for a few. It is just like brushing our teeth,” said Moksha. “We brush our teeth to care for them and avoid pain; similarly we can take care of the planet not for anyone else, but just us, to be safe. Each and every one of us can do small things in our own lives, work and community to combat the big challenges such as climate change, pollution, poverty and inequality,” she said.

Her parents, Ragini G Roy and Sourav Roy, said their daughter’s efforts prove that even the youngest in society have a role to play in combatting climate change. According to Downing Street, the Points of Light awards recognise outstanding people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others towards innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.