Youth in Khairi force the Panchayat to release funds for toilets

The village of Khairi is situated 12 km from the block headquarters. There are 750 families and its total population is 3124. The youth facilitators are Mr Prahlad Singh and Ms Chintabai Malviya.

The female youth facilitator is also the ASHA who tried to convince people to build toilets. She motivated people to apply for funds under the Total Sanitation Campaign. But when the people approached the Panchayat for gaining access to toilet construction funds they were refused by the Sarpanch and Sachiv. They were told to request funds from the ASHA herself. The ASHA and the group of girls then motivated the people to raise their voices and pressurize the panchayat representatives. They threatened to complain to higher tiers of the Panchayati Raj structure. The secretary agreed to accept the applications. This led to an increase in the number of toilets from 17 to 150.

Personal Change

Arjun is 18 years old. He started smoking at the age of 10 in the company of friends. The boys used to go alone to the forest to graze their animals where they engaged in unsedantary practices since there was no one to supervise them. They did not go to school because there was hardly any incentive for their parents to send them to school – there being no mid day meal or free uniforms or free books. Ever since these facilities became available the children go to school and it is the elders who take the animals for grazing. After coming into contact with the youth group he has given up the habit of smoking.