Koustabh Gupta
“When Someone Refuses to Choose You, Choose Yourself Louder. Learn to Buy Yourself Flowers and Learn to Love Yourself First, Because You are Responsible for Your Own Smile. So, Choose Yourself!”
Koustabh (17), is from India. Growing up, Koustabh watched his mother endure patriarchal neglect in a country that glorifies motherly sacrifice — and that experience shaped his mission: improving girls’ education and menstrual healthcare to stop school dropouts caused by menstrual stigma in rural India.
Through his youth-led nonprofit The PostModern, Koustabh led interactive workshops reaching over 1,500 underprivileged girls on menstruation, hygiene, and their rights — including 150+ girls with intellectual disabilities, using creative teaching methods like mnemonics and learning through play.
Through the Roshni Ki Udaan project, he led 120+ young changemakers to co-create hundreds of reusable sanitary pads and solar torches for girls in Dehradun. With the Divine Welfare Trust, he helped distribute hundreds more pads and health kits, and raised funds for HIV and AIDS patients in rural villages.
Koustabh also innovated the “Kaya Pad” — a low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pad that can detect infections early, making safe menstrual care more accessible for rural girls.
Supported by his mother’s funding and encouragement, Koustabh is working to make education and health a right for every girl, not a privilege.
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