Rakesh Chalwadi is a waste picker from Pune. At the young age of 19, he has experienced the grave threat of climate change very closely. When faced with drought and famine, Rakesh’s grandparents migrated from their village in the 1970s and started collecting waste to survive in the city. Rakesh, who lives with his mother, is the first in his family to reach High School. Since the pandemic, he has been working near the landfill, picking up materials that can be recycled. Rakesh is passionate about safeguarding the planet and believes that collective action by all stakeholders is the need of the hour. He wants to engage with a larger audience on the role of waste pickers as environmental activists. By doing so, he believes that the issue of climate change will get the attention it rightfully deserves. Rakesh continues to hold on to his dream of studying software engineering.