HEALTHACON applications, global recognition and community-led change

Highlight of the month

Felicitated by Member of Parliament

Co-founder Sulfeekar Aly P K, who leads the Centre for Youth Impact and Training, was recognised for his contribution as a facilitator at a scholarship distribution event and training programme organised by the non-profit collective Dyuthi in Mavoor, Kozhikode.

He engaged Gen Z participants and teenagers in socio-emotional learning and becoming active, contributing citizens. Member of Parliament Shafi Parambil felicitated him at the event.

Official recognition

UNCCD accredited observer status confirmed

Following co-founders Jaseel and Ijas’s participation at COP17, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification confirmed The Ignite Foundation’s accredited observer status. This opens opportunities for more young people to participate in future Conferences of the Parties.

Updates from us

Alumni projects · Seed fund & mentorship

A step towards a cleaner community

On 12 October, interns and Changemaker Residents organised a community-led environmental restoration activity with Chakkittappara Grama Panchayat, led by Jaffar and Mufasir. Ward Member Bindu Balakrishnan inaugurated the initiative; former Perambra Block Panchayat member Girija encouraged youth participation.

The Ward Member assured support for waste bins and awareness boards. This is part of an ongoing youth-led effort to promote cleanliness and community participation in Chakkittappara.

Insights from the team

5 ways to change systems: lessons for social entrepreneurs

Social problems can persist despite our best efforts. Educational support alone may not address poverty, transport costs or a lack of teachers. Drawing on Donella H. Meadows’s Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System (1999), these approaches look beyond immediate needs to the systems that produce them.

1. 1. Change the information flow

   Share information that helps people make better decisions. Providing farmers with market prices can improve their bargaining power.

2. 2. Change the rules

   Challenge policies, procedures or practices that create barriers. Working with local authorities to improve market access for small producers can benefit more than one enterprise.

3. 3. Change the goal

   Shift the outcomes a system prioritises — from measuring waste collected to reducing waste generation and promoting reuse.

4. 4. Change the mindset

   Question assumptions that sustain existing problems. Rural entrepreneurship can challenge the belief that young people must leave their communities to build meaningful careers.

5. 5. Enable self-organisation

   Help people organise and develop their own solutions. Farmer cooperatives can strengthen collective bargaining, resource sharing and decision-making.

These are interconnected approaches, not separate steps. Start by understanding what keeps a problem recurring and where a change could create lasting impact.

— Jaseel C K, Co-Founder

Opinion · Founder perspective

Social work: where compassion meets professional practice

Helping a neighbour is an act of care, but work with vulnerable communities and complex social problems needs more than good intentions. Mental health, child protection, community development and social justice require professional knowledge, ethical judgement and an understanding of the systems shaping people’s lives.

• Compassion with professional knowledge: combine empathy with evidence-informed practice and knowledge of human behaviour.
• Help with dignity: support people’s agency, rather than treating them as passive recipients.
• Individual support with systemic understanding: recognise poverty, discrimination and institutional barriers.
• Care with ethical responsibility: respect confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries and accountability.
• Personal commitment with collective change: go beyond helping individuals navigate difficulties.

Compassion makes us care; professional social work helps us respond responsibly and work towards lasting social change.

— Asif Ali, Co-Founder

Fundraiser

Support composting at Changemakers Ashram

We are planning a composting system to process biodegradable kitchen and campus waste into compost for farming and gardening. With interns, volunteers and young changemakers regularly staying at the Ashram, responsible waste management is part of practising sustainable living — and moving towards a waste-free, carbon-neutral space.

Event spotlight

HEALTHACON 2026 · SSTx Circle of Kindness

HEALTHACON brings young problem solvers together to understand community health challenges and turn ideas into practical solutions. The Health Innovation Lab takes place on 12–14 November in Kollam, Kerala, exploring community care, lifestyle support, mental health and wellbeing, technology and AI, and social and behaviour-change communication.

Social Work Students Camp

A three-day camp this December at Changemakers Ashram for MSW students: community engagement, practical counselling workshops, fellowship, self-reflection and exploring your role as a social worker.

Koodanoridam · next elderly gathering

The next gathering at Changemakers Ashram is on 8 November 2026 — stories, conversations and companionship. Volunteers, partners and activity facilitators are welcome to connect.

Impact story · SST community action

Connecting children with nature through birds

SST9 alumna Anisha developed Bridging the Gap Between Students and Biodiversity in Alagappanagar Grama Panchayat, Thrissur. Two sessions combined educational games, a nature walk, bird observation and simple biodiversity documentation, helping children explore local birds and plants.

She also facilitated an environment and birds session for people aged 60 and above at Changemakers Ashram, extending environmental awareness across generations. She plans to continue helping children build a personal connection with nature and conservation.

“I feel children can connect with the environment through the beauty of birds, their colours and their sounds. It is also a way to help them move beyond digital devices and mobile phones and reconnect with nature.”— Anisha

Kerala’s social entrepreneurship ecosystem

Ignite at the Social Enterprise Conclave

Twelve of the 200 participants at the Social Entrepreneurship Conclave 2026 were Ignite alumni. Organised by Kerala Startup Mission on 30 September at Hyatt Regency, Thiruvananthapuram, the conclave connected social entrepreneurs, startups, investors, government, academia and ecosystem partners.

Ijas Hakkim reflects on building an ecosystem, not just individual enterprises. SST, Changemakers Ashram and the Winter School on Social Entrepreneurship help emerging changemakers gain learning opportunities, mentorship, peer networks and spaces to collaborate. Through CSIE, Ignite is building a space for learning, research and ecosystem engagement.

“We are proud to see the young people we have worked with become part of Kerala’s growing social entrepreneurship movement. Let’s keep building. Let’s keep igniting change.”

— Ijas Hakkim, Co-Founder

More moments from October

• Chakkittappara Grama Panchayat representatives and the Health Inspector visited the Ashram and heard residents’ alumni impact stories.
• Ijas Hakkim joined the District Planning Commission meeting in Kollam and the first Kerala Social Impact Collective meeting.
• Jaffar led a session on the Right to Information Act and civic engagement at the Ashram.
• CYIT reached more than 10 colleges with emotional wellbeing and “From Self to Society” training.
• Social work interns sorted books and catalogued new additions to the Ashram library.

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