India needs people like these to make Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a big success

Don’t get deceived by Mithilesh’s frail figure and his specially-designed tricycle. He is a strong-willed man who encouraged 200 odd families of Brahmanbheri village to build a toilet in their home. Motiram Khobrade, the Gram Panchayat Secretary of Brahmanbheri, shares how an excited Mithilesh drove three kms on his tricycle with a loudspeaker and music system playing songs and slogans penned by Khobrade himself, and urged people to build a toilet in their homes. His hard work paid off. Today, not even a single Brahmanbheri household is without toilets. The movement was started on 21st April 2015 and by 10th May, the village was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). Now, Mithilesh and Motiram plan to spread the movement in the neighbouring villages.

Rashida Ravani’s vivacious smile beautifully hides her resolute will, but her words reflect her innate strength. When Zila Panchayat spoke to her talking about the Rural Sanitation Movement, she decided this year’s Eid-ul-fitar will be celebrated in an ODF-Kesla. She, as the Panchayat Secretary and daughter of the village, did all she could do to motivate over 200 families to build a toilet. Right from holding meetings twice a day to educating everyone on the benefits of cleanliness and hygiene, she did it all. It wasn’t a smooth ride for her but she managed to achieve the feat in less than two months. Kesla was declared an ODF village two days after Eid-ul-Fitar, and that is when Eid celebrations commenced in the village.

Madan Nath declared that if all the members of his Kalbelia tribe, residing in Ganahera village, will not build toilets in next 15 days, he would shave off his moustache; his prized possession. He also threatened (for the good cause) that he will shave off other tribesmen moustache too if they won’t pay any heed. They did. Every family belonging to his tribe and that of his village heard him and build toilets. You know how Madan tricked them to do this? Every single day he walked to the village fields looking for people defecating in open, and coerced them to run back home and build a toilet of their own. It worked. Around 550 toilets were built in 15 days flat, of which 68 belonged to Kalbelia tribe.

Sanjana wanted an identity for herself and the transgender community, so when she got the proposal to drive Rural Sanitation Movement in the small village Nandni, she jumped on it. She, along with her friends in the community, knocked at every door, sang songs, explained why having a toilet was necessary, and encouraged them to build one at home. Her efforts paid off. Today, all 131 families in the village have a toilet.