When Actions Speak Louder Than Words

The most challenging time for our field staff is when we encounter deep-seated cynicism of the service providers, be it the health workers, anganwadi workers or the school teachers. With the school teachers the cynicism arises from a) a perception that the students are dumb and are not interested in studies b) from disenchantment that nothing can be done better than what is being done currently in the circumstances c) distrust of the NGOs and corporates who are seen as coming and doing something for a day or two with no long term association or impact.

Bade Sir of Zilla Parishad School Vehlonde, epitomised such cynicism and refused to permit the Population First (PF) team to conduct the five-day School In Development (SID) programme in the school. This was despite the fact that we were invited by the village education committee members and other teachers of the school, Waghire Sir and Jadhav Sir to conduct the SID programme in the school. They got to know about the initiative at the orientation programme conducted by PF for the service providers. It was unanimously agreed by the committee members and teachers that the SID programme would help promote better hygiene and sanitation practices in the village.

It was only on the intervention of Mrs. Jatal, the Kendra Pramukh, that Bade Sir allowed the team to interact with the students. Forty students from class V, VI, and VII were selected to be trained as Vikasdoots or Messengers of Development.

The five-day SID programme was always transformational for the children who were given hygiene and sanitation messages through a number of group and fun activities. For instance, all the children were asked to clip the nails of their family, friends, and neighbours and bring the nails so collected to the session. All the nails were then soaked in a transparent bowl to demonstrate how much mud they carried. An equally interesting activity was the hand washing demonstration with only water and then with water and soap. The activities are full of fun and make the children realise the importance of good hygiene practices for good health. 

Students running their election campaign seen with their symbols for election in Bal Panchayat.

The village and school mapping exercises for identifying areas which are insanitary like garbage dumps, stagnant water pools, slushy surroundings of the wells etc. helps the students mark out  the trouble spots for action.

Live demonstration of water treatment with Medichlore and good water use practices helps them promote the same in their villages and houses. Each child, thereafter, takes the responsibility of monitoring hygiene, sanitation and water use practices in five households. 

The group of Vikas Doots cheers at the end of the training.  They are set to take action on sanitation and hygiene conditions.

Identifying the emerging leaders and giving them on a rotation basis the responsibility to ensure timely attendance in the class, cleaning and decorating the class room and documenting the activities of the day helps them over come their fears and inhibitions and take proactive role, be it cleaning the class rooms and school premises, or the approach road to the school and their neighbourhood.

Helping them understand the local self government system, the role of the village committees and also enabling them to contest and participate in the formation of a Bal Panchayat – a cabinet of elected students. The Bal Panchayat is constituted through an election process where they file their nominations, canvass for votes and win elections to become office bearers of various ministries builds immensely their leadership and communication skills making them the real messengers of inclusive and people-centric village development.

It is this transformation in children, of this school in a remote tribal village, which changed Mr. Bade into a supporter of AMCHI and its village level initiatives.

While he did not come even once to see the training on the first day, from second day on he started making rounds to the training hall and by fourth day, when the election process was explained and conducted in the school, he was completely drawn into the training. He was amazed to see the students fully involved in the training and enjoying it so much. They were learning and demonstrating what they had learnt.

Bade Sir expressed his opinion on the last day. He said that PF team conducted the training with a lot of involvement and considered each student as its own. The students too reciprocated with involvement, creativity and enthusiasm. Such trainings should happen again and again. He was very happy with the initiative. That is the reward we cherish as it reflects hope, positivity and a desire to change and that we can bring about change if only we know how to be in a sharing and nurturing mode.

The students were equally generous in their praise of AMCHI team and shared their plans to work on sanitation, hygiene and health of the community. The teachers were touched by their enthusiasm and energy.

Later, when PF organized an educational tour to Mumbai for the students in February 2016, Bade Sir took the lead and guided students to be in groups and manage all the tasks required to be done during the trip. He appreciated the planning and execution of the trip by PF.

Now the students are getting involved in planning and executing hygiene and sanitation projects in the community and in the school.  Till April 2016, the students have constructed nine soak pits and five compost pits in the villages.

Vikas Doots have cleaned the area around the common tap and  made provision  for waste water disposal.

They regularly organise the Bal Panchayat meetings in which teachers also participate. They water the plants in the school premises and clean the premises regularly. They organise rallies to spread hygiene and sanitation messages in the community. Constructing a vermi-compost pit in the school is being planned and the Teachers have promised to guide them in their activities.

The SID programme changes the way children perceive hygiene and sanitation issues and reduces their tolerance to unhygienic and insanitary behaviours. By providing them the required skills in leadership, communication and team work they are being transformed into Vikasdoots and their activities really speak louder than any endorsement by us.

 

Soak-pit constructed by the students keeps the area free of waste water.

Father, what role do you play?

Sunday, June 19, 2016 was Father’s Day. To me it is just one more “Day”. I love my father and my mother (I hope they know it), my kids and my dog (when I get one). I don’t need a Day. Social media was abuzz with the usual flutter of activity- photos, selfies, scans of old albums, ads and videos doing the rounds, being liked, shared and commented on.

With over 2.5 lakh views, one much talked about ad was for a brand that has redefined what it means to be a "complete man" through its gender sensitive portrayals in recent years. It has once again shown great sensitivity by saluting the single mother. The digital ad film for Raymonds has a child thanking his mother with a "World’s Best Dad" mug even as it steers clear of showing the father. I thought it gave a great opportunity for the viewer to think and visualize, “What has she done to earn the title?” Cleverly, the ad allows the viewer to reflect and think about the role of father, rather than projecting the mother as the "provider", therefore the “father”, like in this short film. 

I do feel this “Day” helps to give one more opportunity to talk about the role of fathers, and mothers. Do we really have a role?

When I became an eager, anxious first-time parent, so did my husband. We both didn’t know how to hold the baby, whether his neck would hurt, how to clean pee or poop, how to make him stop crying, whether to sing loudly or softly. It was all too confusing, overwhelming for both of us. The realisation soon dawned that the only difference between a mom and a dad was biological - I could give birth and breastfeed. Simple. 
 
Once we got a grip on the role, we did everything together for the baby. Be it playing with his teddys or cars, football or dancing, we never discussed who does what as a parent. But we often discussed how it has been life-changing in every sense of the word. The hugs, the affection, the one-to-one interaction during diaper changing, the soft humming and gentle patting while putting him to bed… aren’t these some joys that some fathers miss out on simply because according to some weird traditions, fathers/husbands should stay away from the baby/new mom. And then we feel our men are not soft enough to understand feelings? How will they know how to be “caring and nurturing”, if they have never shushed a crying newborn? The same goes for mothers who are not given the choice to go out and earn and be the “providers”.


It is these changing realities that need to be reflected in Indian advertising and films. They will play an important role in changing the gender equations within families and shaping the mindsets of our little ones. 

Today there is a greater dialogue on parenthood than ever before. There’s the apologetic, yet optimistic father in Ariel’s “Share the Load”, who wishes he had helped his wife in the household chores. The ad for Midea appliances cleverly addresses the question that is asked of stay-at-home-moms, “what work do you do at home anyway?” I take it is an encouraging sign that as communicators we are rethinking the norms. In doing this advertisers are creating a vibrant conversation on sharing the responsibility of childcare and earning for the family.
That said, many ads still show the woman working in an office, but cut to home and she goes back to being a mom or a wife. Clearly advertising is holding a mirror to an evolving Indian society, but we have a long way to go before that becomes the new norm.

Written by Preeti Gopalkrishnan, Programme Director, Population First. She's a mom of two kids, aged 7 and 2 years. 

The opinions expressed are personal and do not reflect the views of Population First or Laadli.