Route J-1

By Binish Desai, Secondary School Student from India

Blog originally published on Rotary Voices

Binish Desai and the brick his company makes from industrial waste.

India is my Nation
Valsad is my Station
Helping is my Aim
Binish is my Name

I’ll never forget the introduction I used as an exchange student.

This year, I had the outstanding opportunity of not only meeting other youth exchange students from around the world but also being recognized as an outstanding alumnus by my local Rotary. Rotary is an international service organization that brings together business and professional leaders, including through exchange programs. My J-1 youth exchange took place in 2009-10, and yet my Rotary experience feels like it’s just beginning.

During my exchange to Waukegan, Illinois, I searched for opportunities to be a part of the community and help out. For this I took up a challenge called the Polar Bear Plunge, which involved jumping into a frozen Lake Michigan in the heart of winter! I collected the most money any individual had ever collected for the event to support Special Olympics. In recognition of my community service, the town of Waukegan gave me their ambassador pin, and my host school district awarded me with a Superintendent’s Leadership Award. I was most honored to be named a Paul Harris Fellow by my host club.

Binish Desai takes part in the Polar Bear Plunge.

But it’s not the recognition that drives me. You could say I’ve been serving my community since I was young. At the age of 11, I had an urge to invent things that would help society. I created a brick made out of paper waste and chewing gum that is one of eight patents I own.

Just a few years after my exchange year, I started my own company to provide low cost eco-friendly building materials, and today I am chairman of the BDream Group of Industries. We take industrial waste and process it with a specially formulated base, then form it into bricks that are dried using solar power.

The toilets are stronger, cheaper, and more durable than conventional ones.

My inventions help recycle a large amount of industrial waste every day and provide low cost houses and toilets to rural India. We also provide subsidized toilets to local Rotary projects. Giving back in this way is important to me.

I joined the Rotary Club of Bulsar in 2015 because I believe in what Rotary does. I was honored to be nominated by my district and selected as one of the zone winners of the Rotary Alumni Global Service Award. Being one of the youngest youth exchange students to be nominated for this award humbles me, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

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