During a plogging activity by residents of Thiruvanmiyur.
Largely in circulation only in recent times, the compound word “changemaker” cannot be hoary-haired. “Young changemakers”, a qualified form of it, is of even more recent prevalence, and one would imagine it coming with a raven-black mop of hair, particularly in most Indian contexts. But the idea of youngsters as changemakers is no spring chicken. That idea has been hopping around around for a long time, has even been deified in literature. Enid Blyton presented a bunch of five young changemakers, famously known as, well, Famous Five. She would present another bunch, The Secret Seven. The list across literature is long, probably crowned by J.K. Rowling’s brainchild Harry Potter. The idea that youngsters can do things beyond their years for the common good displaying integrity and courage is hardwired into the human mind.
The idea recently gained more ground, taking a generous patch of land along the Chennai coast: the whole of Thiruvanmiyur. At the time of this article going to print on June 6, preparations were under way for the first meetup of Thiruvanmiyur Young Changemakers Club.
Based on the registrations, 30 young changemakers were inducted into the club when the day ended. The change the Club is expected to work towards comes with multiple layers, the most obvious ones being social, civic and environmental. As with all young changemaker stories, in real life and in fiction, this one has adult authors scripting it. The idea reportedly germinated at Valmiki Nagar in Thiruvanmiyur, where a group of residents were brainstorming on how to reverse certain initiatives out of the frustrating cul-de-sac they had slid into. Gayatri Nair, a resident of Third Seaward Road and a prime mover in this effort, being one of the adults scripting this story of change, says the idea was to infuse fresh energy into flagging community-driven initiatives such as beach and street clean-ups, plogging, waste segregation, preservation of trees and care for Thiruvanmiyur beach.
One suggestion that resonated with everyone was the establishment of a young group that would shoulder these responsibilities, not single-handedly, as the adults would continue to tweak the script whenever necessary. But the youngsters would be given a clear, unmistakable sense of leading the change, having been empowered as decision-making agencies. Gayatri notes the age range for membership in the Club is 8 to 24 years. And the Club would stay Thiruvanmiyur-centric, she states, elaborating people from elsewhere are welcome to study its workings and create their own hyperlocal club with similar focus in their neighbourhoods.
Membership to the club is currently closed as the required number has been reached. Know more about the initiative @changemakers.600041
Published – June 08, 2026 09:25 am IST
