Child prodigy Gitanjali is UNICEF Child rights advocate

Story by Aasha Khosa | Posted by Aasha Khosa | Date 21-11-2021

Time Magazine cover featuring Gitanjali Rao

New Delhi

Gitanjali Rao, an Indian origin young scientist, innovator, author, and motivational speaker, has been appointed as UNICEF’s youth advocate on Childrens’ Day "to advance childrens’ rights.'

Gitanjali announced it on her Twitter and also posted the video of the ceremony held out in the open given the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said: "I am excited to share that on world children's day, I was appointed as a UNICEF youth advocate to advance children’s rights. Around the world, young people are raising their voices to create a better future for every child"

I'm excited to share that on #WorldChildrensDay2021 I was appointed as @UNICEF Youth Advocate to advance children's rights. Around the world, young people are raising their voices to create a better future for every child. Go to @voicesofyouth to meet other young advocates. https://t.co/szMlB6woCn
— Gitanjali Rao (@gitanjaliarao) November 21, 2021

Gitanjali is an extraordinary child who in her Twitter profile she calls herself a “Student, fencer (cyber game player), author, speaker, community volunteer, science enthusiast, STEM promoter and board member.”

At 12, she delivered her first Ted Talk, something that is usually reserved for persons with fame and experience.

So far, she has delivered three Ted talks and several talks to parents and educators to motivate them to help children become innovators.

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Gitanjali was awarded as America’s top young scientist of 2017 by Discovery Channel in a competition.

She was ten-year old when she watched the coverage of Flint water crisis on television. The water of Flint river had got contaminated and the same was being supplied to the local communities. She also remembered falling sick after drinking water from her grandmother’s house in India way back when she was just a four-year old.

Based on these experiences, Gitanjali came up with her first major invention - sleek and inexpensive handheld device that she calls Tethys. Run on a 9-volt battery, the device uses carbon nanotubes to detect the harmful element in the water and conveys the information through Bluetooth. If lead is present in water, it will get deposited on carbon.