Today is International Day of the Girl 2017. What could be better than celebrating two Indian American girls’ recognition as the 2017 National Young Women of Distinction in the United States! Devika Kumar from Texas and Rajvi Ranka from California have recently received the title, National Young Women of Distinction, from the Girl Scouts of the USA for playing agents of change in society.
The 18-year-old Indian American girls – Rajvi Ranka and Devika Kumar – are among the ten honorees who have been selected from hundreds of Gold Award Girl Scouts across the USA. Texas-based Devika Kumar educates underprivileged women and girls on menstrual hygiene in rural India, while Rajvi Ranka made a technological innovation to help farmers conserve water in California.
Devika Kumar (left) and Rajvi Ranka (right)
One of the Girl Scouts of California, Rajvi Ranka created cost-effective soil moisture sensors and readers to help farmers with water conservation in California’s underserved areas. Farmers can check intensity of moisture in the soil using the sensors. Cupertino-based Rajvi Ranka’s water conservation technology enabled farmers to reduce their use of groundwater by 25% during the California drought.
A student of environment engineering at California Polytechnic State University, Rajvi Ranka is working to make the technology accessible in drought-prone regions in developing countries including India. She has got a provisional patent on her innovation. She is likely to exhibit her water-saving sensors and readers at Oracle OpenWorld, a leading technology conference in the world.
Interesting Stories of California Indian Girls
- 12-year-old Ananya Vinay Wins National Spelling Bee Contest 2017
- 16-year-old Henna Sanghvi Wins Miss Fullerton Teen USA 2018 Title
- Malika Jain Wins Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program 2017
- San Jose-based Anika Kumar Helps Senior Citizens Avoid Loneliness
Austin-based Devika Kumar is not only one of the Girl Scouts of Texas but also one of the few young Indian philanthropists in the USA. She is named among the 2017 National Young Women of Distinction for teaching girls the importance of menstrual hygiene for good health and empowering underprivileged women with cost-effective sanitary pad machines to make a living in rural areas of Rajasthan.
What drove Indian American Girl Scout Devika Kumar to plunge into philanthropy for hundreds of thousands of menstruating girls and women in rural Rajasthan is an inspiring and heart-touching story, which we at Indian Eagle previously published on Travel Beats. Read more about Devika Kumar’s mission of women empowerment in India.
This story is part of our continued effort at Indian Eagle to promote good work for noble causes by Indians in USA and the rest of the world. We not only strive to make US to India travel cheaper but also cater inspiring stories, community news, and travel updates to Indian Americans through our free newsletters. If you have any story of philanthropy or social service to share, do feel free to write to us at share@blogbox.indianeagle.com