Stopping the Bite: UWC Student Tenzin Wins GoMAD Award for Dengue Prevention Project
At UWC Robert Bosch College, student initiatives are at the heart of education for peace and sustainability. This spirit is powerfully reflected in first-year student Tenzin Choekyi’s project “Stop the Bite: Together Against Dengue”, which has recently been recognized with a grant from Go Make a Difference (GoMAD), a program supporting impactful, student-led projects across the UWC movement.
A Community-Centered Response to a Public Health Challenge
“Stop the Bite” is a youth-led initiative addressing the spread of dengue fever in three Tibetan settlements in southern India: Bylakuppe, Hunsur, and Kollegal in Karnataka. Implemented over four weeks during the monsoon season, the project combines education, prevention, and sustainable intervention to tackle a recurring and serious public health issue.
Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, continues to pose a significant threat in India. In 2025 alone, nearly 50,000 cases were reported nationwide. In Bylakuppe, the situation has been particularly severe, with around 60% of the Tibetan population affected in the same year. “There is no real cure for dengue,” Tenzin explains. “The most effective thing we can do is prevention—but that requires awareness, and not everyone has access to that knowledge.”
From Research to Action
The idea for the project emerged through conversations with healthcare professionals and community members. Initially considering other health risks, Tenzin shifted focus after realizing the scale and urgency of dengue infections in her community. “You might think you understand a problem from the outside,” she reflects, “but when you speak to people on the ground, you realise what truly matters.”
A key insight was that existing awareness campaigns often fail to reach all parts of the community. “Information is usually shared in central locations, but not everyone attends these sessions,” Tenzin notes. “So I wanted to bring the campaign directly to the people.”
The project’s approach is both comprehensive and inclusive. Over the course of four weeks, Tenzin will lead:
- Village outreach sessions, visiting two villages per day to engage residents in discussions about dengue prevention and early symptom recognition
- School-based programs, including interactive presentations, quizzes, and competitions to make learning engaging and memorable
- Creative workshops in primary schools, where students design posters that reinforce key messages and carry them into their homes
- Community events, including a large awareness session in collaboration with a local doctor
- Pamphlet distribution, ensuring information reaches households and public spaces across the settlements
By targeting both young people and adults, the project aims to build a culture of shared responsibility. “If children bring the message home, families start to take it seriously,” Tenzin explains. “It becomes something the whole community cares about.”
Building for Long-Term Impact
Beyond awareness, “Stop the Bite” also addresses structural challenges in mosquito control. A central component of the project is the introduction of fogging machines to reduce mosquito populations sustainably. These will be managed by local health centers, with trained community members ensuring their continued use.
Tenzin emphasizes the importance of long-term thinking: “I didn’t want this to be just a one-time campaign. The goal is to create something the community can continue on its own.”
Recognition Through GoMAD
The support from GoMAD not only provides funding but also affirms the project’s potential for lasting impact. Designed to empower students to take initiative and lead change, the program enables projects like “Stop the Bite” to move from idea to implementation. As Tenzin puts it: “This is not just about stopping a disease—it’s about helping a community protect itself.”
