Design for Change

Designhm design solutions for a better future.

Motto	I CAN.
Website	http://dfcworld.com/

Design for Change is a global program founded by Kiran Bir Sethi, founder of the Riverside School in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She started this global movement with a conviction that if a child is empowered and made to feel that they can take matters into their hands, it results in major changes brought about in the society. With this motivation she first started the whole process of enabling the children at her school level, then they reached out to Ahmedabad. Finally on the 15th of August 2009, Design for Change was introduced and spread to 32000 schools across India. The whole movement consists of four parts- feel, imagine, share and DO. It motivates the children to recognize one problem persistent in the society and then find a viable solution to it. They take one week and implement this solution and change the world.

The Beginning

The whole idea began when the grade five kids were learning about child rights.The lady made them roll incense sticks(agarbatti's) for 8 long hours., with this they understood much more about child labour. On the 15th of August 2007, these children went out in the streets of Ahmedabad. They stormed into offices and fought and spoke and convinced people much older than them about Child exploitation. Ahmedabad came to be known as the most child friendly city. Thereafter,15 August 2009, was the day Kiran Bir Sethi set out to establish Design for Change. It was spread across the country and several consequences were seen. It was designed in 8 languages and was spread to 30000 schools. Major issues like loneliness, filling potholes, alcoholism etc and solutions were designed by the children all over the country. One big achievment came about by 32 children who stopped around 16 child marraiges in Rajasthan, kids in Hyderabad tried banning plastic bags and kids collected a sum of Rs.120000 for hearing aids.

References

• http://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge.html
• http://www.ted.com/speakers/kiran_sethi.html