Kehkashan Basu has always believed that change begins with action. She is known as an environmentalist, feminist, educator, and human rights advocate, but above all, she is a changemaker who began her journey when most children her age were still discovering the world. At just 12, she founded Green Hope Foundation, a social innovation enterprise to create a fairer and more sustainable world. Today, her vision has grown into a movement across 28 countries, directly improving the lives of more than half a million women, girls, and young people.
Her inspiration began at the age of seven when she saw a photograph of a dead bird filled with plastic waste. On her eighth birthday, which fell on World Environment Day, she planted her first tree and started small community projects. These early actions soon led her to be invited as a speaker at the United Nations Rio+20 Earth Summit in 2012, where she was one of only five delegates under the age of 18 among 50,000 participants. Witnessing the lack of inclusion of young people, women and marginalized communities, she decided to start Green Hope Foundation to ensure sustainability was truly inclusive.
What makes her work stand out is its holistic, intersectional model. Green Hope Foundation does not work in silos but addresses climate change, gender equality, education, peacebuilding, and economic security together. Each project is designed with the communities it serves, ensuring local ownership. From solar-powered schools and STEM labs to mobile libraries and climate-smart farms, every initiative is rooted in dignity and empowerment. In a world where tokenism can be common, Kehkashan insists on impact that is real, measurable, and lasting.
Her path has not been easy. Entering global leadership spaces as a young woman, she faced ageism, sexism, and doubt. She also endured cyberbullying and threats. Instead of giving up, she turned adversity into strength, building a strong team and letting her work speak louder than criticism. Every completed project and every community transformed became proof of what is possible when youth and women lead with determination.
The achievement closest to her heart is building Green Hope Foundation into a global platform that empowers communities. What began as a dream of a 12-year-old is now helping girls escape child marriage, supporting women to find livelihoods, and inspiring young people to become leaders. For her, the true legacy is not awards or recognition but the lives changed through these efforts.
She believes the future of sustainability will focus on localized, intersectional, and tech-driven solutions. Communities will no longer be passive beneficiaries but co-creators of change. Technology, especially clean energy, will play a larger role in bridging equity gaps. Her foundation already reflects this vision with solar-powered schools, mobile libraries, safe street lighting, water solutions, and agrivoltaic systems that combine farming with renewable energy. These projects not only improve lives but also offset millions of kilograms of carbon emissions annually.
For Kehkashan, leadership is about empathy, inclusion, and collaboration. She rejects rigid hierarchies and instead creates spaces where everyone is valued and capable of leading. By co-creating programs with communities, she ensures solutions are sustainable and dignified. Leadership, for her, is not about titles but about consistently showing up, staying accountable, and remaining grounded in values.
To young professionals, her advice is clear: do not wait for the perfect age or qualification. Purpose matters more than perfection. She urges them to be resilient, challenge the status quo, and measure success by impact rather than recognition. What matters is passion, persistence, and the ability to positively change lives.
Looking ahead, she aims to expand Green Hope’s Academies of Hope across rural and climate-affected regions, offering solar-powered safe spaces for learning and skills development. She also plans to scale agrivoltaic systems across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean to address food and energy insecurity while creating green jobs. Another focus is strengthening data advocacy for inclusive policymaking that reflects the realities of the most marginalized. Her ultimate vision is a world where equality is not aspirational but guaranteed – where every person has access to education, water, energy, safety, and opportunity.
Kehkashan Basu’s journey proves that no one is too young to make a difference and that persistence can turn challenges into stepping stones. Through Green Hope Foundation, she continues to inspire global action, ensuring that justice, equality, and sustainability remain at the heart of development.