Nandini Van Sanitation Awareness Camp

Lilapur village, Ahmedabad District

Date-8^th to 10^th January, 2014

Nandini Van sanitation camp was held at Lilapur village of Ahmedabad district in Gujarat. Lilapur is a small village with 165 houses and approx population figure is 900. There are about 300 buffaloes in the village which makes Milk business as a basic source of income for the villagers along with farming. There are 5 shops and 2 temporary shops (Gumti).

The village has a government school which has classes till std 8. The village has rich biodiversity. There is a very beautiful pond. The cattle force produces huge amount of dung daily, more than 1500kg and food waste is around 100 kg per day.

A three day camp was held in Leelapur Village in Ahmadabad together with NSS students under the guidance of shree Jayeshbhai, Director of ESI and Suresh Bhai and we also had the support of Dr. Anil Jain, Cardiologist who has his weekend home in Leelapur.

The three day camp was aimed to spread awareness about health and sanitation. Nandini, the transit bus that carries the team from village to village, and also displays pictorial banners and posters for awareness was taken to Leelapur.

The first day the team was introduced to the village Panchayat and the NSS team so as to understand the common agenda and develop a bond of understanding and collaboration. Also the whole team went around the village to have a look at the need and nuances of the village.

On the first day the camp was inaugurated in the august presence of Jayesh Bhai, where in the emphasis was laid on the need for toilets and cleanliness in the community and also at individual level.

The day was fully utilized by the team to become a part of the community to develop a family like enironment, girls from the team were made to stay and eat in the local community houses where as the men stayed with the NSS students with the same objective.

At night the NSS students performed street theatre to entertain the village folks and convey the message of cleanliness and risks associated with alcoholism and use of tobacco. The act was well appreciated and saw effective impact.

Day two began with Prabhat Pheris and morning exercise. Later the day was devoted for community cleaning. The team went around cleaning the streets, hand picking plastic waste painting wall slogans, donating dustbins, cutting nails and combing hair of the young children etc

Also, we could move the well off members of the community to donate 25 toilets to the toilet less families. The day ended with street theatre and movies showcased on cleanliness and healthy habits.

Also a highlight was a dummy death procession that was carried out and mourning songs were sung to arouse resistance against tobacco and alcohol.

The village bird feeder was cleaned and painted and it was said “earlier no one would even bother to look at the bird feeder, now it has become one of the most attractive buildings of the village and we can’t stop looking at it.”

The ripple effect of the activities of the camp were seen by each that took part.

The NSS students had a lot of vigour and zeal but it was felt through Manav Sadhna team’s intervention that how with introduction of silence and sarva dharma prayer a sense of patience and self-awareness was instilled among them.

Also within the community due to the group activities like wall painting and sports events for children, a new sense of togetherness was felt. By the close, the community too took part in the cleanliness drive and showed commitment towards a better cleaner community.

Day 1:

The camp was set up. An orientation function was organized in the village school and awareness for sanitation was spread among the folks.

The guest and the dignitaries took a round of the entire village and discussed about the issues of major concern related to the village.

Late evening, during the Gram sabha, short movies and videos were shown to the villagers to make them aware of various social issues.

NSS team organized a stage show to make people aware of the consequences of various social issues which prevailed in the village, they were-Rangala rangli drama, superstition, sanitation, addiction, difference between girl and boy, cleanliness.

Day 2:

Morning started with a great step to make the village residential area plastic free. The entire team of Nandini van and NSS showed their active participation in the movement.

Afternoon ESI team went for a survey of Sanitation facilities in the village and reports said that 65 houses did not have proper sanitation facilities.

Evening Grama Sabha was held again.  Topics of concern like stopping Child marriages, ill effects of drinking, rainwater harvesting, benefits of plantation and greenery were acted upon in the drama.

Spot mapping was done in the entire village.

Day 3:

Dustbins were made from oil cans and distributed in the village.

Slogans were painted at various spots in the village to spread awareness.

A discussion was held in village school where in members of ESI interacted with the children and discussed with them good living habits.

Survey of the toilet facilities of the entire village was done.

The issues related with Lilapur village are as follows:

1. Lack of sanitation facilities

2. A large part of the population is addicted to tobacco   and smoking which includes minor kids too.

3. Child marriages

4. Large amount of plastic waste, around 8.25kg per day

5. Inefficient use of Buffalo dung and food wastes

6. Spoiling the pond by opening a sewage pipeline into it

7. Garbage can provided by the Government is not cleaned up at regular basis which in turn has lead to disposal of wastes on the road side or open land.

8. High school is needed

9. Cutting of green wood for use as fuel

10. Cattle dung is not used for generation for bio gas, instead it is waste3d by letting it into open and later using it as manure. By that time, the manure will be mixed with plastic.