Nikhil Mehta is a 17-year-old young gentleman currently a rising junior at Smithtown High School East, Long Island, New York. He is taking several college-level courses, maintaining a 4.55 GPA, attained AP Scholar with Honor Award, and is part of the National Honor Society. At school, he is the Director of the Linked Elderly Outreach Program, a program dedicated to relieving the isolation of the elderly during Covid 19 and is a nationally awarded writer. He loves to cook and can play a mean tune on the violin; at the same time, his tennis serves are to be watched out for. What is even more outstanding about this young kid is that he is very compassionate, empathetic, and is dedicated to serving his community. His goal is to encourage his generation to take part in humanitarian work and raise empathy.

He has grown up seeing his grandparents’ Kanak and Prabha Golia’s philanthropic work and has been deeply inspired to do so in his life as well. He has his non-profit organization called Blossom Charity, whose mission is to help others in need. At such a young age, he has been raising funds to help educate the underprivileged. He has made a team effort to help the slums in Delhi. He has brought hope for the kids who have no hope. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he created a Covid-19 Guide to educate the children on preventing the spread of Coronavirus. This guide was distributed throughout NYC schools and hospitals. He had helped the elderly connect to their families when they were isolated by donating iPads to nursing homes. He was awarded by the Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone for Dedication to Community Service. He received the highest President’s Volunteer’s Service Award in 2020. Nikhil was given the prestigious opportunity to speak at the Indian consulate about “The Importance of Empathy and Compassion: Raising Awareness for Today’s Youth.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Nikhil realized how this dreaded disease had affected America. He had been home with his brother and sister all year, not going to school. He didn’t get to see his grandparents, who live in Indore and have not been able to see them for over two years. Moreover, recently Nikhil saw his uncle- Dr. Ajay Lodha, pass away from Covid-19, leaving him quite emotional. Nikhil was touched by what is going on as the pandemic is sweeping India at a staggering pace. With over 200,000 cases daily, he witnessed the COVID pandemic bringing India to its knees with the hospitals overwhelmed, and people especially in rural areas and villages, in dire need. “I couldn’t breathe, seeing the suffering.” Seeing pictures of long hospital lines and sick people, and many people gasping for air was the reason behind his inspiration – “Oxygen on Wheels.”

          Nikhil was motivated to join in the effort to help India “breathe better.” Oxygen on Wheels is a free service to provide oxygen support inside a specially designed bus to needy patients in the rural villages of Jodhpur and patients. They are waiting for admission to the hospitals. These buses can hold up to 4-5 patients with oxygen concentrators. They are positioned outside the hospitals; or a central location in the rural villages. He ran this idea through his grandparents, got their blessing, and connected with his uncle Prem Bhandari, who turned his wish into a reality. It took a team effort, however within 24-72 hours; Nikhil’s Uncle was able to get the first van with four oxygen concentrators on the road to rural villages. Nikhil was able to raise funds from his friends, family, and, most of all, the community. They now have added two more vans. Nikhil was lucky enough to speak to the Honorable Chief Minister of Rajasthan, propose his ideas, and request assistance to further the cause. With support from the government, Oxygen on Wheels program is escalated to the entire state of Rajasthan. He also discussed his future project to create an Ambulance system throughout the rural villages, where people have to walk miles to get healthcare. Nikhil’s goal is to make the future of his underprivileged rural villages better.

He wants to make a difference. He is a Youth Ambassador for the Rajasthan Foundation. He also strongly feels that one needs to have a sense of identity and connect with their hometown and country. “I have a sense of attachment and belonging due to the environment in our house and community.” The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how connected the world is. Given these challenging times, it is our duty and responsibility to help each other and extend ourselves. He quotes a famous saying, “we can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”