2022 Global Call to Youth Update from Siddaganga Math Foundation, Tumkur, India

One of my goals for my summer visit to India was to continue our Global Call to Youth (GCY) program founded in 2009. Siddaganga Foundation has a special place in my heart as my maternal grandfather who was a renowned nuclear physicist grew up there for seven years. Today the foundation is home for 10,000 underprivileged boys providing education, free food, and housing.
In January 2022, when my trip to India was finalized, we connected with the staff from the foundation to establish a collaboration to extend the GCY. As they had a sustainable vegetable garden, their needs were different. They were interested in receiving quality fertilizers to help the plants thrive.
I worked closely with our field manager of GCY, Mr. Dharmesh, who has expertise in agriculture. He visited the Siddaganga Foundation to meet with the staff and discuss the possible options upon my request. Upon my arrival to Project Site, I visited the local fertilizer store, “Hercules Insecticide” with our field manager Mr. Dharmesh.
We chose Factamfos, which is suitable for all crops and soils with Zinc deficiency and urea, which provides the plants with nitrogen as per the expert advice of Mr. Dharmesh. We hired a small truck to transport the goods to the foundation, met with the staff, and handed over the fertilizers.
I connected with youth during lunch time and was amazed to see their sustainable dairy farming practices.
GCY completed its 13 years now. We plan on many more to come!