Who Is Grace De Souza? A Class 9 Goan Student Who Started A Small Venture Of Moringa Powder From Her Backyard Details

(MENAFN- Live Mint) While summer vacations mean sleeping longer and spending hours playing for most students, for some, like 13-year-old Grace de Souza, they provide a chance to experiment and gain new experiences.

According to a report by The Better India, Grace de Souza, a Class 9 student from Goa, had an entirely different routine during her summer vacation. She began her days by watering the greenery in her family's backyard, then spent hours sorting, drying, and processing leaves. What grew at home became the basis of a product that found paying customers.

Her business did not stem from a desire to make money; rather, it started with a simple observation: Grace noticed that while moringa grew in her family's backyard, it was not readily available in many other homes. She began exploring how to bring the leaves to people who wanted to use them in their daily meals.

Meet 13-year-old Grace de Souza: A Class 9 student who sold moringa powder

Since 1 May 2026, Grace, a Class 9 student at St Mary's Convent High School in Mapusa, has been making moringa powder using leaves harvested from the trees in her family's garden. In just over a month, she sold roughly 20 packets and earned around ₹3,000.

According to her mother, who runs“The Goan Homestead”, a small business selling pickles, jams, masalas, coconut oil, handmade soaps and ready-cooked foods, Grace grew up surrounded by homemade products.

Maria de Mello, Grace's mother, noted that the idea was entirely her daughter's. She added, "One day she just said she wanted to make moringa powder for people who don't have moringa trees at home. I was honestly very touched listening to her.”

Her interest in the plant developed over time. Moringa was already a familiar ingredient in her home, with her mother regularly using its leaves to prepare dishes and even smoothies. Grace said, "My mother keeps telling us how healthy it is,” and added,“She puts moringa leaves in dal, soups, khichdi, rice, and even smoothies for my baby brother.”

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After researching the benefits of moringa leaves, which are naturally rich in nutrients such as vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium, iron, and protein, she read more about the different ways people consumed them. This led her to explore how she could help those who wanted to include moringa in their diet.

The process, from sorting and drying the leaves to grinding them into powder and packing it, takes around three to four days.

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