: I am the Healer

Essay Writing Competition 2025
Category: 8 - 11 years
- Merit -

Commended Entry: "I am the Healer" by Indranilaa Menon from Indonesia

This article was submitted in the Kids World Travel Guide Essay Competition 2025 in the Junior Category 8 - 11 years.

I am the Healer:
Big World in my Small Hands

World!!! It was a big word for me when I was in Grade 1. I used to wonder how big it was — would it be as big as me, or as long as my hands could reach? I always asked my mom. She would tell me, "It’s so big, Indu, you cannot even imagine."

By Grade 3, I finally understood what the world was. It comprises continents, oceans, and of course Earth — the planet we always study about. "Save Earth. Save our Planet." Then I learned something bigger again: the world also has huge challenges. Climate change, wildlife extinction, not enough natural resources for the future.

When I read all these things for my school work, I wondered why we need to worry so much about the future. My mom always told me, "Indu, when you wash your hands, don’t keep the tap open. You are wasting water. One day, we may not have enough." She explained that right now, in some parts of this big world, people are starving and craving for just a glass of water. That day, I was very disturbed. I kept asking her if I had wasted a huge amount of water. Finally, she got a little irritated and told me, "No, Indu!!! You didn’t!"

The very next day, we had a school activity about building a futuristic green city. Our teacher asked us, "As kids, what can you do to create a greener environment?" I told her, "Miss, we are just small kids, what can we do?" She looked at us and said, "You kids are our future! The big future of our big world!" At that moment I understood: it’s us. We make the world a better place. Our actions shape our future.

During my holidays, I went to India. Kochi is my hometown. My grandparents took me to an event where I saw a huge statue made by school students. It was very beautiful. When I went closer, I realized it was built out of cola bottles, old phones, chargers, and even used electric bulbs. I was so surprised! My grandma explained that the entire statue was made from waste materials, recycled by students. Wow!! I thought, some people are harming our world, while others are trying to heal it.

That day, I decided which side I wanted to be on: the healer group. The future group. Yes, our small hands can indeed hold together our big world in the future.

Congratulations on your heartfelt essay "I am the Healer." We love how you connect small actions to big changes and inspire others to join the "healer group" for a better world. Thank you for sharing your inspiring vision!

Indranilaa Menon attends Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School in Jakarta/ Indonesia. English as first language.