Rebecca Manzi 12-year-old Prasiddhi Singh has planted 150,000+ trees in India, creating community orchards and leading environmental change through her Prasiddhi Forest Foundation
@prasiddhiforest/Instagram
In India, a 12-year-old girl is proving that there’s no minimum age requirement for changing the world. Her name is Prasiddhi Singh, and she’s already considered one of the youngest and most influential figures in the country’s environmental movement.
It all began when Prasiddhi was just 7 years old. After a devastating cyclone struck her region in Tamil Nadu state, the young girl decided she couldn’t just stand by and watch. That moment sparked her concrete commitment: planting trees to contribute to reforestation and improve the quality of life in affected communities. Sometimes the most profound changes begin with a child’s simple refusal to accept that things must stay the way they are.
Today, at only 12 years old, Prasiddhi has already planted over 150,000 trees. It’s an extraordinary milestone achieved partly through the creation of the Prasiddhi Forest Foundation, an organization that promotes environmental action through concrete activities, from tree planting to education. Her ambitious goal? To reach 10 million trees planted worldwide.
Community orchards and biodiversity
Her most innovative project involves “fruit forests” – biodiverse orchards planted in public schools, offices, and community spaces. These environments don’t just improve the local ecosystem; they also represent an opportunity for environmental education and food self-sufficiency. The motto is beautifully simple: create ecological solutions that also have social impact.
The concept is both practical and inspiring. Imagine walking into a school courtyard where students can literally pick their lunch from trees they helped plant, or an office building where employees can grab fresh fruit during their break while surrounded by the oxygen-producing canopy they’ve cultivated together.
Recognition beyond her years
Despite her young age, Prasiddhi has already earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious Dal Puraskar. She’s spoken at international events like COP28 and COP29, organized a TEDx talk, and continues to inspire thousands of volunteers. Her foundation operates on a principle she calls the “3G Network”: Generate your own oxygen, Grow your own food, Gift your contribution to the community.
Many call her the “Indian Greta Thunberg,” but Prasiddhi demonstrates that new generations don’t just want a better future – they’re already working to build it. With her contagious enthusiasm and clear vision, she’s transforming environmentalism into something accessible, concrete, and deeply rooted in local reality. There’s something particularly powerful about watching a 12-year-old articulate solutions that seasoned policymakers struggle to implement.
Her work reminds us that environmental action doesn’t always require grand gestures or massive budgets. Sometimes it starts with one child, one tree, and one community willing to believe that small actions can grow into forests of change.
Source: Prasiddhi Forest Foundation
