What does it mean to look bored? That unusual question arose during the COVID-19 lockdown, when classes moved online and attention spans collapsed. A small team of students decided to chase a $20 hackathon prize with a challenge: design an app to benefit the education community.
Their answer was a Python program that could detect emotions during online classes. Using computer vision to analyze 18 facial points, the tool gauged whether a student was distracted, tired, or engaged. Training the model was grueling three hours of computation often ended in errors but five days later, the first result appeared: “55% happiness.” The other 45%? Maybe fatigue. Maybe curiosity. What mattered was the realization that technology could read emotions and potentially solve problems beyond the classroom.
A pivot toward urgent, real-world needs
That early project led to bigger questions. Could emotion detection help doctors in telemedicine, where subtle cues are often missed? Could the same technology be used in ambulances, capturing pain levels and transmitting real-time data to doctors during the “golden minute” of emergency care?
It was a powerful realization: innovation isn’t always about building something entirely new. Sometimes it’s about perspective repurposing what already exists to solve more pressing human needs.
A defining moment on the street
That philosophy turned painfully real in March 2022. On a neighborhood walk, the founder witnessed an elderly man collapse on the sidewalk. Despite frantic calls for help, the ambulance took 30 minutes to arrive. The man never made it to the hospital.
The incident exposed a harsh truth: most people are unprepared for emergencies. Even basic first-aid knowledge CPR, treating fainting, or helping during choking was absent. This realization gave birth to EmerReady (emerready.org), a social initiative to equip underserved schoolchildren with first-aid knowledge and confidence.
Founding EmerReady and meeting its leader
At the helm of EmerReady is Prachetas Yeri, who founded the initiative after that life-changing experience. His mission: ensure that children, especially from underprivileged schools, are prepared to act in emergencies with confidence instead of panic.
EmerReady collaborates with government schools and local NGOs, delivering engaging sessions that combine storytelling, videos, and live demonstrations. Training covers common emergencies like bruises, burns, fractures, animal bites, and fainting. By connecting with students in regional languages and offering practical tools, the initiative makes life-saving knowledge both accessible and memorable.
Building EmerReady: Approach and impact
EmerReady’s approach is simple yet powerful:
- Local language training: Materials are translated into Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi to overcome language barriers.
- Interactive learning: Demonstrations, storytelling, and audiovisual tools make sessions engaging and practical.
- Compact first-aid kits: Safe, sharps-free kits small enough to fit into backpacks ensure children can carry them everywhere.
Impact so far:
- 1,150+ students trained across 8 schools
- 750+ personal kits distributed
- 6 industrial-grade kits supplied to schools
- A growing team of 10 volunteers expanding reach
Teachers reported that the kits have already saved lives—helping treat cuts, fainting episodes, or falls during play.
Scaling recognition and global reach
EmerReady’s impact has been recognized nationally and internationally.
- Its founder, Prachetas Yeri, represented India at the UN ECOSOC Youth Activate Impact Summit in New York, where he advocated for integrating first-aid training into global school curriculums.
- The initiative was a finalist at the Namma Bengaluru Awards 2025 in the “Rising Star of the Year” category, recognized for its positive impact on the city.
Why It Matters
India spends less than 1.5% of GDP on healthcare, and EMS response times often stretch from 10 to 30 minutes or more in rural areas. Common emergencies like fainting, choking, burns, drowning, and fractures claim lives not because they are untreatable, but because of delayed or absent care.
EmerReady believes children can be the first line of response. With the right knowledge and tools, they can bridge the critical minutes before professional help arrives.
Looking ahead: Vision and expansion
EmerReady’s mission is clear: prepare students for emergencies so they respond with confidence, not panic. Future plans include:
- Expanding to more schools across India
- Launching self-guided video training modules online
- Building a self-sustaining volunteer network for broader impact
What began as a hackathon experiment to detect distraction during virtual classes has evolved into a movement to save lives. Through EmerReady, Prachetas Yeri has shown how one spark of curiosity can grow into social entrepreneurship—anchored in empathy, innovation, and the drive to act.
As he puts it, innovation is about asking not just “What can I build?” but “What needs to be built?”
