On the 17th of July, something quietly unfolded at the Government Middle School in Sarsai.
Now, the idea had been brewing for a while. Just a day before, on the 16th, our slope team walked over to the school to meet the principal and share a plan. A simple one — to host a Green Trails session with the students. Not a lecture, not a formal session, but something more fun and meaningful. Something they’d remember.
The principal welcomed us in, listened patiently, and smiled. “Come tomorrow,” he said. And so, we went.
We had around 30 students from Classes 6 to 8 waiting for us. Curious, a little unsure, but very present.
We began with a skit — no stage, no props. Just our team acting out a story that felt all too familiar: a cow munching on plastic, wrappers being tossed onto the road, characters buying chips for no reason, and a shopkeeper casually saying, “Throw the waste outside.”
At first, there was silence.
And then — small hands went up. “But cows should eat grass!” “They shouldn’t throw trash like that!” That’s when we knew — they were really watching. Really thinking.
In the second round of the skit, we changed things up. No plastic bottles, no wrappers. Reusable containers came in. The cow was now eating grass. The same shopkeeper was now offering a dustbin.
The shift was small, but the kids noticed every bit.
After the skit, Munna ji led a conversation. And I say conversation — not a session — because that’s exactly what it was. He spoke about the Green Trails practices we follow on our treks. And more importantly, why we follow them.
The students joined in almost immediately. “We don’t use steel boxes, but we want to now.” “We’ll stop throwing wrappers near the school.” “We’ll tell our families also.”
And then something special happened — Praveen stepped forward and led the Green Trails pledge. All 30 students stood up and promised to care. Not just about not littering, but about how their choices — even the smallest ones — affect the world around them.
I want to pause here and say this — this wasn’t just a school visit. It was something else.
It was that rare moment when a message doesn’t just land — it takes root. It wasn’t about ‘teaching sustainability.’ It was about feeling it. About seeing young minds light up, question things, suggest change, and take ownership.
And that’s what Green Trails is about. Not quick fixes. But slow, quiet, steady change.
And on that morning in Sarsai, we saw it.