As a fourth generation hospitality family, Aryan always aspired to do something for the people. In a manner that would uphold their fundamental rights and allow them to live life with dignity and comfort.

As a Grade 11 student at The Doon School, Aryan imbibed the necessary skills to turn his ambitions into a tangible reality. However, with the offset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this became a herculean task.

After an incident with a staff member in December 2020, where the staff member did not have any form of shelter due to an outbreak of COVID-19 within his family, Aryan began ideating the Crisis Housing Action Inclusivity Network (C.H.A.I.N). He spoke to his father about the idea and then started speaking to NGOs and hospitals in Udaipur to take his idea forward.

Today, C.H.A.I.N is a social initiative that seeks to rehabilitate members of vulnerable and at-risk groups by providing them with safe and provisional shelters, protection from structural hazards and risks to health, and access to essential services and facilities.

C.H.A.I.N.’s primary focus is on building strong partnerships with social welfare organizations in need of stable infrastructural support for affected communities. Aryan aims to partner with reputed organizations that are doing stellar and invaluable work in providing housing and rehabilitation services to victims of this horrific pandemic.

A partnership with C.H.A.I.N would enable NGOs to provide temporary shelter to those in need. CHAIN’s hospitality partner - the Alka Group of Udaipur, agreed to reserve four of their hotel rooms per month for members from vulnerable groups to facilitate a smooth transition out of their at-risk environments.

Through C.H.A.I.N, thus, Aryan seeks to help members of underserved communities in feeling safe and secure by way of their temporary housing solutions.

In addition to this, Aryan is also working on developing original educational resources to bolster C.H.A.I.N.’s approach and make it more holistic. To this end Aryan is also drafting a Staff Training Manual, which is a written document that focuses on how to best cater to the needs of people in crises: includes content on gender sensitization, privacy protection, and methods used to mitigate risks with special emphasis on respectful and inclusive approaches to care.

Furthermore he is also developing the C.H.A.I.N National Resource, which lists national NGO and government helpline numbers for people who are seeking support in emergency situations along with a framework on an individual’s legal rights.

Finally, Aryan also hopes to produce a C.H.A.I.N Community Engagement Book, which would be a comprehensive guide focused on best practices for the urgent rehabilitation and provisional care of affected communities by NGOs and civil society organizations.

Age, is never a barrier to implement and further a cause – and Aryan is a perfect example. He is leading by example.