Speak up: Boys’ demand of separate toilet in Harda School to be fulfilled soon

Sravani Sarkar

NewsBits.in

Bhopal/Harda: Few months ago, tribal kids like Aman, Ashish, Parvati and Pooja of village Jhadbida were extremely shy. They hardly ever spoke to any elders, let alone think of raising their demands.

But on Thursday (February 23) these kids, along with their other 9-10 year old friends made a confident trip to the local panchayat office. They carried a short, well drafted application that they handed over to the sarpanch Narmada Prasad Gaur.

The demand was very specific and small – the kids want a separate boys’ toilet for their primary school. T school has a girls’ toilet, but no separate arrangement for boys and this means a lot of inconvenience to the boys.

“The boys have been facing problem about relieving themselves since and long time and we decided to take the matter up with panchayat. Sarpanch uncle has promised us that the toilet would be built soon,” Aman Uikey, ‘prime minister’ of the school cabinet said.

The sarpanch Narmada Prasad seconded Aman’s confidence. “We would do all the processes necessary for building a toilet for boys soon,” he said.

The surge of confidence among the children of Jhadbida is result of sustained efforts of Rajendra Kalam – who is part of UNICEF-supported Changeloomers project in partnership with NGO Synergy Sansthan.

Rajendra is a local boy and was also part of the total sanitation campaign (Swachch Bharat Abhiyan) in the village. He said that if children are aware on issue and get the right encouragement, they can put across their viewpoint and demands quite effectively. “Children of Jhadbida are good example of this point,” he said.

Vimal Jat of Synergy Sansthan also says that once give proper inputs, children immediately become aware about their rights and also find the way and gumption to take up their issues on right platform. “We just have to channelize them in the right direction,” he said.

Like children of Jhadbida, children from different parts of MP – either in group or individually – have shown that they can fight for their rights and ensure them. These children have shown that they are right material would be aware and responsible citizens as adults.

The chief of Madhya Pradesh UNICEF, Michael Juma is very appreciative of the children’s initiatives. “It is encouraging to see proactive participation of children in  raising issues which impact on their rights, supported by young people as the advocates, and it is important for stakeholders to respond to their opinions and needs as put forward by children' Eager to see sustained momentum by children on this inspiring pursuit,” he said while talking to NewsBits.in