Stories of Change - Young Tinker Foundation

The real success of an organisation is always expressed in terms of impact it has on its people and others.

We bring you the stories of ordinary village students who shaped themselves to become Kid-innovators. Do read about their inspirational stories on how they innovated, acquired skills and became confident towards achieving their dreams.

Basudeba Bhoi

Basudev Bhoi (age 15), son of a daily labour in Paddy Fields. He joined IPSFRI-School for Rural Innovation in 2015, at that time he used to work with his father in farmland to have a better earning for his whole family. Now, Basudev is a specialist in 3D printing technology. He innovated bionic hand (artificial hand) though open-source material and facility at school. With his project, he wants to give hope to people with disabilities. He was the Prototype Lead of the Young Tinker team selected for NASA Rover Challenge 2023.

Rina Bagha

The pandemic pushed her family to poverty, the prolonged lockdown brought misery to the lives of 18-year-old Rina Bagha. Originating from the Boudh district, Rina lives in a rented house here. She was pursuing her intermediate in the Arts stream. Her parents are daily laborers. They had no jobs during the first phase of the lockdown. It was then that she decided to step out of the house in search of a job to earn money. She first tried to seek the work of domestic help in nearby houses. But people were afraid of the virus, they drove her away.

After multiple failures, desperate for money, Rina urged the workshop owner to offer her any kind of job. The owner told, “The job in workshops are for men, you can’t do a job here”. She argued and said, “Mu welding karibi!” (I will also do welding!) She had no other choice but to work whatever she gets. She had zero idea about welding, she even didn’t know what works are done in a workshop. It was then that our foundation, helped Rina learn a skill. She was also one of the team member of NASA HERC team. She was selected as a welder in the team.

Other Awards: Winner in IIW National Best Welder completion for women – 2021 (GMAW Process) at Calcutta; Winner in IIW National Best Welder completion for women – 2022 (SMAW Process) at Chennai; Runner up in IIW National Best Welder completion for women – 2023 (GMAW-Pipe process) at Bangalore; Participated in IIW ARC CUP International Welding competition 2023 at Pune; Winner in National Welding League for Women 2024 at C V Raman Global University, Bhubaneswar; Gold Medal in Odisha skill competition 2024 in welding; Silver Medal in India skill competition 2024 in welding

Rishikesh Amit Nayak

Rishikesh, hailing from Jagatsinghpur district in Odisha, witnessed the devastating impact of locust attacks on farmers in his village, leading to crop failures and even farmer suicides. These experiences motivated him to find a solution to this challenge. As part of the Young Tinker’s one-year program, Rishikesh learned critical skills such as problem identification, leadership, and communication, which helped him channel his passion into action. Leveraging the skills and facilities at his disposal, Rishikesh developed an AI-powered solution capable of predicting pest attacks before they occur, offering an affordable solution for just one dollar. His innovation addresses the critical issue of bacterial attacks, which cause 80% of crop failures. Rishikesh’s dedication and ingenuity caught the attention of Intel, and he was funded for his project at the Intel Global AI Festival.

Rishikesh’s journey began at the age of 16 when he joined Young Tinker Academy. Growing up in a farmer family, he was deeply affected by the struggles and uncertainties faced by farmers. His personal connection to agriculture fueled his determination to find a way to prevent the devastating effects of bacterial outbreaks and pests. As he explained, “Farmer suicide due to crop failure is very common. Hailing from a farmer family, I was aware of the issue at a very young age. I decided to work for this cause.” His empathy and drive have led to a powerful technological solution that has the potential to transform agriculture in rural India.

Rutuparna Jena

Turning an Old Umbrella into a Satellite Parachute: Rutuparna’s Journey of Change

Rutuparna Jena, a 9th grader from Govt. High School, Soro, Balasore, Odisha, never imagined she would one day launch a satellite. She never thought she would lead a team or build something that would inspire thousands. In fact, just a year ago, she wasn’t confident in her own abilities. But today, she stands tall, with dreams in her eyes and an unshakable belief in herself.

It all started when Rutuparna joined a team of eight students working on an ambitious project: launching a CubeSatellite using a helium balloon. Their goal? To measure temperature, humidity, and air quality above their village and send real-time data back to a ground station. But there was one major problem—how would they ensure a safe landing for their satellite?

As the Parachute Lead, Rutuparna had the daunting responsibility of solving this challenge. Traditional parachutes weren’t available in her village. Giving up wasn’t an option. Instead, she asked, “Why not?” She turned to the core principle she learned at Tinker on Wheels (ToW)—D.M.W. ideas: Doable, Moneyable, Wantable.

Every idea was tested and failed—until she had a breakthrough. She found an old umbrella. With determination, she encouraged her teammates to calculate its dimensions and enlisted her mother’s help to stitch it using a sewing machine. A simple yet powerful innovation—designed and made in India!

But success didn’t come easily. Their first designs failed. Doubts crept in. Some even told them it was impossible for students from a small village school to accomplish such a feat. But Rutuparna and her team refused to give up. They kept iterating, learning from each failure, and improving their design.

And then came December 23, 2024. At Tinkerfest Soro, Balasore, in front of 3,000 students, their satellite finally took flight! It was more than just a launch—it was a statement. It proved that with the right mindset, determination, and hands-on learning, young innovators from any background could achieve the impossible.

The transformation in Rutuparna was undeniable. Before this journey, she hesitated to speak up, unsure of her abilities. Now, she stands confident, eager to learn, and dreaming bigger than ever. She knows that she can solve real-world problems. She knows she can lead. And most importantly, she knows that when others say “Nahi ho sakta”, she will always respond with “Kyun nahi?”

How did we find Rutuparna? Through Tinker on Wheels—a Young Tinker Foundation initiative that reached 1,500 students in Soro, unlocking their potential through hands-on workshops. Each ToW session provides a platform for kids to build what they imagine, empowering them to become the changemakers of tomorrow.

This is what it truly means to do the unthinkable—to take an old umbrella and turn it into a satellite parachute, to take a hesitant student and turn her into a confident leader, and to take a dream and make it reality.

Siddhanth Ghosh

Siddhanth Ghosh, an 18-year-old student from Mumbai, has always been captivated by technology and its transformative potential. His passion spans various fields, from photography and computer graphics to music production and filmmaking. However, it is Rocket Science that has captured his imagination the most. Siddhanth’s passion for space and technology continues to drive his academic journey. He is now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University, further deepening his expertise in aerospace and preparing to make a significant impact in the field of space exploration.

Sai Akshara Vemuri

Akshara, a 12th-grade student from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, has a wide range of interests, from reading books to listening to music. She is a three-time World Record holder for reciting the highest number of decimal places of the square root of 2 in the shortest time, an achievement that earned her recognition from the Vice President of India. Alongside her academic accomplishments, Akshara is a national-level archer. Demonstrating her leadership skills, she founded various initiatives, including “The Astro Club,” and serves as President of the Rotary Interact Club. Recently, she developed an app for the Andhra Pradesh Red Cross to help address urgent blood supply needs. Akshara is now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech in the U.S., continuing her journey of innovation and excellence.

Kailash Chandra Barik

Kailash (18) worked with his father in a road-side cycle repair shop. Being eldest, he earning by working different odd jobs just so that he could enroll himself and learn something new. He had always dreamt of becoming something whom people remember because of his contribution to society. He was selected for our prestigious NaPSAT Program(now Young Tinker). NaPSAT became India’s first interdisciplinary U-19 student team to be invited for the NASA Rover challenge 2021. Kailash who used repair bicycle now worked on the fitting transmission of the lunar rover. He was the part of Indian team that won World Rank 3 in NASA Human Exploration Rover challenge 2021. Now he is working as a welding demonstrator at Kemmpi- A Finland-based based welding MNC.