Unlike many other teenagers, Shail Saraiya a 17-year old student of Dhirubhai Ambani International School at Mumbai decided to spend the short break that he had after completing his Board exams giving something back to society. He used the short break to develop entirely new sanitation facilities for the slum dwellers at Chandrabai Nagar and Mora Gaon in Juhu, Mumbai.

Shail, the son of Chaitali and Siraj Bharat Saraiya, has not remained content with a one-time initiative. Inspired by the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan, a government project under Swachh Bharat, focusing on sanitation in rural areas, he set up Safal India, an organisation that will devote itself to make the dream of Sanitation for All come true.

Safal’s initial project arose out of Shail’s interaction with the domestic help and school support staff which made him realise that sanitation was a big problem for many even in a modern city like Mumbai. Joining hands with the NGO Juhu-Soul of Mumbai City, and with support from the local MLA Ameet Satam and Rotary Club of Bombay West, he ensured that 17 toilet units were built at Mora Gaon, and one big unit of multiple toilets was constructed at Chandrabai Nagar.

Shail was involved in multiple ways with the work. He created a presentation and website and approached different people to raise most of the required funds from well-wishers. He also interacted with the slum dwellers and kept close contact with the progress of the work, regularly updating donors on the progress. As he told the media, “I was always inclined to do something for the community. I learnt a lot while helping around with this and I am glad that this benefits hundreds of families.”