Humara Bachpan kick-started an innovative drive “I’m Dengue’ against dengue in most poorly sanitized slums here with a focus on young children. The campaign team along with Sanjog, a local street theatre group, demonstrated a 45 minute play from the point of view of a mosquito.
According to the arrangement, an Aedes mosquito playing role of a funny character informed the symptoms, reasons and measures to check dengue. The play was highly appreciated by local people, corporator, civil society organizations and media persons who witnessed it. The play was specifically designed for the children so that they can communicate to their parents.
“Similar kind of intervention will be implemented in less sanitized slums like Kalpana Reddy Sahi, Saheed Nagar Reddy Basti, Sastri Nagar, Salia Sahi, Panda Kudia and Medical Basti in next six days. A total of 12 slums will be covered under this initiative. Child club members of Humara Bachpan are spreading the message at their own neighbourhood and then in schools and among friends. This will also be implemented in Cuttack and Brahmapur,” said a campaign official.
An overwhelming 49.6 per cent of the households do not have any kind bathing facility and about 1.7 lakh households (48.33 per cent) or 8.5 lakh people of the slum defecate in the open. 53.9 per cent of the households do not have any drainage connectivity for waste water in the State. Out of total child population, 10-15 per cent children are living in slums which indicate children are the most vulnerable group in slums, said sources.