India, March 13 -- A pile of old clothes and scrap material, a sewing machine and a group of motivated teenagers, that's how Rethread and Releaf began last December. Now, as the students behind this initiative gear up for Pop Up Season - Summer Special Edit in Gurugram, this Saturday, its 17-year-old founder Krishiv Lal Das from The Shri Ram School, Moulsari, says, "It was while chasing my dream of becoming an entrepreneur that I realised my passion towards giving back to our society, the environment, and the community." To fulfil his dream, the Class XI student brought on board his younger brother, Agastya Lal Das, and three of his friends Dhruv Chaddha and Aryan Boruah of Pathways World School, Aravali along with Shreshth Jain from DPS International. "My brother, Agastya who is in class 9 was also keen to join in when I decided to start Rethread and Releaf," recalls Krishiv, whose ideas took shape when the fab five began collecting used clothing and scrap fabric from residents in their condominium. "We bought a sewing machine, hired a tailor, and produced the first batch of around 25 tote bags. When we showcased these at the Christmas fair of my society in Sector 52 it turned out to be a huge hit as everything sold out and we raised almost Rs.25,000!" "We donated all the money to the NGO Roy Foundation, which helps the poor and marginalised sections," shares Krishiv. Adding to this, Dhruv, a class XI student, says, "At this age, it feels amazing that we can employ someone to create these products and add to their income... For the pop-up this weekend, we've doubled the produce and will display around 50 products. Along with the tote bags, we've also crafted bottle bags, storage bags for canvas, gift bags, yoga mat bags, upright pouches as well as small pouches to store stationery, jewellery and cosmetics." Encouraged by the positive response received so far, the Gen Z curiosity and Gen Alpha enthusiasm has now blended to make the venture go bigger. "This time we also went to tailor shops, for leftover fabric, during the collection drives," informs Krishiv, adding. "We're thinking about how to scale it up and build a structure that allows it to continue and grow for at least a few years. And the best part is that through the proceeds from sales, we're able to contribute to people who need financial support."...