One does not need to be powerful and wealthy to achieve something. With little encouragement, even small children can bring change in society. The children of Basudevpur village in Puri district proved this correct.
From making people aware of child rights and gender discrimination to meeting the local Collector, MlA and Sarpanch to stop sale of country liquor and sanctioning fund for construction of a bridge in the locality, the children went on doing wonders.
located on the banks of Bhargavi river, this small village and its nearby localities were just like many other villages, mostly ignorant to the rights of children till 2011. Keen to ensure involvement of children in addressing child right issues, NGO Save the Children trained and informed children in the localities about their rights.Save the Children along with its partner NGO sensitised the locals about child rights and convinced to form a child club. Some villagers took responsibility of child right facilitators.
At the beginning, it was hard to convince the villagers and parents. But continuous efforts of children and meetings finally convinced the villagers to form a child protection committee.These children established a club ‘Shishu Sangathan’. Proactively they identified issues affecting lives of children in the locality, like connecting roads to the schools, school dropout, education for girls and child marriage. Awareness and spontaneous activities| of these children in safeguarding rights of children as well as for betterment of the village slowly began to be recognised.
“Earlier we were not aware of the rights of the children. When we started the initiatives, there was resistance initially from the elders. They did not take us seriously. When the child group was not formed in the village, there were many problems.
The village road was not in good condition. It was covered with woods and was dangerous for the children. The Sishu Sangathan informed us about our rights for safety,” says Subhashree Pradhan, a member of the Shishu Sangathan.
The members also participated in ‘Pallisabha’ and put their opinions and demands on various issues.They hung a ‘Shishu Adhikar Suchana Manachitra’, a child right information map at the Panchayat office wall displaying problems encountered by children, their needs and also suggesting solutions.
Earlier students were engaged in all works at school instead of three peons. Children raised the issue and got it solved. The school building was repaired and renovated with separate toilet facilities for girls and boys.
Boundary wall was constructed and students got their uniform. The upper primary school that was facing scarcity of teachers got headmaster and new teachers. The open pond posing a threat to small children is now safe with boundary walls.Achievements of Shishu Sangathan are not confined to school related matters. Members of the child club met the Collector and bunged sale of country liquor in the locality.
They contacted the local MlA and got a fund sanctioned to construct a bridge in place of the old wooden bridge, affecting around 100 children from nearby five to six villages dependent on the bridge to come the school in Basudevpur to study.
The difference is clear. Situations improved. The parents who used to discriminate between girl and boy child have now changed their attitude.
lack of adequate public transport facility has become a main hindrance
for girls in this village to pursue
higher studies.