In 2018, 10‑year‑old Rohan Satija, new to Texas after his family moved from New Zealand, found comfort in books while battling panic attacks. His sister Anya, two years his junior, joined him in a neighborhood lemonade stand to raise funds for local libraries. The modest stall quickly became a community hub, with the kids handing out coupons and collecting spare change.
By early 2019, the siblings formalized their mission as the Let’s Learn Foundation, a registered nonprofit that now distributes over 100,000 books, 125,000 classroom supplies, and thousands of mental‑health kits across 13 Texas school districts. Partnering with Scholastic, Dell Children’s Hospital, and the Born This Way Foundation, the organization ensures resources reach underserved students and families. The foundation’s reach has already touched more than 15,000 learners, according to its official website.
Mental‑health kits, a recent addition, bundle stress‑relief tools, journals, and counseling hotlines, reflecting Rohan’s belief that emotional well‑being fuels academic success. The Vibrant Voices Project, launched at the Hays County Juvenile Center, gives detained youth a platform to write and perform monologues that process trauma and reduce stigma. “Storytelling is therapy,” Rohan told Global Indian, noting the program’s impact on participants’ confidence.
Beyond field work, Rohan serves as the youngest member of the Texas Children and Youth Behavioural Health Subcommittee and a volunteer on the Williamson County task force. He has led workshops at the 2023 NAMI Texas Conference and advises local schools on integrating mental‑health resources. These roles position him to shape policy that supports the foundation’s mission nationwide.
The foundation now aims to broaden its distribution network to additional rural districts and low‑income urban areas where public libraries are scarce. Rohan plans to secure new corporate grants in the coming spring and expand the Vibrant Voices curriculum to more juvenile centers. The next milestone is a statewide grant proposal due in May, which, if approved, will double the foundation’s reach by the following school year.