Shipra, MA in Development (2013 ‑15), is a Sustainability Facilitator and Practitioner. She is Lead — Sustainability Engagements & Zero Waste Offices at https://​www​.skrap​.in/. 

“I came to the University with a lot of questions about sanitation and how public sanitation in the country could be improved,” says Shipra. 

At the University, she got the opportunity to do a lot of research, be it from the gender lens or from the public policy point of view. It informed her work further on another interest that she developed during her time at the University — waste management. 

She also highlights how, as part of their project, tried to replace single use plastic cups, put together a waste segregation system to ensure responsible recycling and composting. This period, she says, was filled with learnings as she interacted a lot with her peers. Later, she was able to apply these learnings while working on another project.

She has been working in the field of waste management for over seven years now with students, young children and adults, both in both public and corporate settings. 

“When I look back, I think pursuing the MA in Development programme at Azim Premji University made me question a lot of my assumptions and also made me really aware of my privilege,” says Shipra.

Shipra facilitates workshops to help people embrace environmental sustainability along with working at offices and events to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills. She’s passionate about sanitation, finding new ways to reduce waste including looking for ways to combine her love for art, sustainability and working with children. 

She hopes to live in a community close to nature and create experiences for children in social and environmental change.

Shipra can be reached on LinkedIn.