My children taught me to practise what I preach, says Kajol

Actress Kajol, who has been advocating the importance of hygienic environment, thinks government's support is needed for passing on the message of maintaining sanitation standards in the society.

"You do require the help of the government. NGOs alone can't do it. The entire country needs to talk about it. We have spoken to the government and they are helping us. We are grateful to the government for coming up with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan," Kajol told PTI in an interview over phone from the US.

As the HelpAChildReach5 and Handwashing Ambassador, Kajol is in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as the handwashing brand ambassador.

The 41-year-old "Dilwale" star thinks the message should be passed through children not by just telling them to follow basic hygiene, but also practising it ourselves.

"As far as kids are concerned it is important to do things ourselves first. I have learnt from my children that practise what you preach. They follow it religiously and so do I. We show to kids on the UV light how one can see germs, so they understand why we ask them to wash hands," Kajol said.

"My husband Ajay (Devgn) knows about this campaign as I do discuss things with him. He is not creatively involved with it," she said.

The couple's daughter Nysa was born in 2003 and their son, Yug, in 2010.

She feels that the star power gives a momentum to the social causes. "We don't have to explain things in details to people they understand the importance of hand washing. It has become easier to make them understand about basic sanitation. I play to my strength while doing this campaign, I talk and try to reach to maximum people," Kajol said.

"The campaign is growing. It is a global campaign. We are propagating it everywhere. Now people understand the importance of hand washing. We have adopted the entire state of Bihar," Kajol said.

She has been a handwashing ambassador and advocate of lifebuoy's "Help A Child Reach 5" campaign since 2013.