In the wake of the Swachh Bharat Mission, India no longer has a problem of access to toilets. However, good toilet hygiene and sanitation practices continue to be an area of focus. Many Indians still do not see toilets as necessary, and the change to a new mindset is a slow one.
However, as the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan found, children are great agents of change. Not only are young people more receptive to the message of the Swachh Bharat Mission, but they are also willing ambassadors of change within their families and communities.
Harpic, India’s leading brand in the lavatory care segment, has tremendous experience in communicating good toilet hygiene and sanitation to adults. However, their most thought provoking campaigns and outreach programs have happened with children. They partnered with Sesame Workshop India, an educational non-profit working for the early developmental needs of young children, to promote positive sanitation, hygiene knowledge and toilet behaviors among children and families through schools and communities, engaging with 17.5 million children across India.
The programme aims to raise awareness and reinforce healthy toilet and bathroom habits among young children, developing and recognising them as “Swachhta Champions”. This is inline with the GoI’s own recommendations to include lessons on toilet hygiene and sanitation into the school curriculum, right from the first standard, and the initiative to create Swachhta Senanis in schools who champion the cause of hygiene and sanitation.
Of course, one of the most effective ways that Harpic is leading this conversation is through Mission Swachhta aur Paani, together with News18 Network. Mission Swachhta aur Paani is a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. Mission Swachhta aur Paani advocates equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and strongly believes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility.
On the occasion of World Health Day, Mission Swachhta aur Paani led a spirited discussion amongst policy makers, activists, actors, celebrities and thought leaders with a panel from News18 and Reckitt’s leadership on the many ways in which poor toilet hygiene and sub-standard sanitation affects us all.
The early worm gets the lesson
Actor Kajal Aggarwal, whose son is just 11 months old, talked about the need to start children off early. Her son is already learning to sit on a potty seat, wash his hands, and follow a routine. “Children learn by observing their parents, so it’s crucial to keep our homes and surroundings clean. By doing so, we can set an example for our children and help keep our country clean.”
Dr Surubhi Singh, who was also a part of the same panel, and works to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene amongst women and girls who live in Delhi’s slums, concurred with Kajal. She talked about the 5P pouch that she gives to young girls, to get them into the habit of changing their sanitary pads at school. Once they experience firsthand how easy this can be, these children almost never opt to stay home during their periods – they prefer to keep up with the rest of the class. Not only does this help with the problem of absenteeism, but also helps lower the dropout rate amongst girl students.
Of course, the Swachhta ki Paathshaala initiative has also seen incredible wins. As a part of the World Health Day event, well known actor and celebrity mom Shilpa Shetty visited the Primary School Naruar in Varanasi, to talk to children about good toilet habits, hygiene and its link to good health. The children, whose school was the recipient of the Swachh Vidyalaya prize, dazzled both Shilpa Shetty and News18’s Marya Shakil with their detailed grasp of how toilet hygiene and maintenance directly impacts health outcomes and productivity.
One child also shared a heartwarming anecdote where he recounted to Marya that after the school program was implemented, he talked his family into building their own toilet. Of course, he is not the only one. As a part of Mission Swachhta aur Paani, the teams from Harpic and News18 have come across several such stories that show us that mindsets are changing.
It also eloquently makes the point that when we want to change attitudes, the youth are our best bet. Children who grow up with toilets don’t go back to the old ways, and are the most effective agents of change we could ask for. As the Mission Swachhta aur Paani slogan goes, Healthy Hum, Jab Saaf Rakhein Toilets Har Dum.
As the Swachhta ki Paathshaala advocates, “apne peeche dekho.” Are you leaving the toilet as clean as you found it? By looking after the next person in line, we all gain the privilege of using a clean toilet. As Ravi Bhatnagar, Director, External Affairs & Partnerships, SOA, Reckitt, so elegantly phrased it, “Sabka saath, sabka vikaas tabhi hoga, jab sabka prayaas bhi hoga.”
This is the mindset that will catalyze a Swachh Bharat and a Swasth Bharat. Join us at Mission Swachhta aur Paani’s exclusive event for World Health Day to discover the myriad ways India is changing its mind and perspective regarding toilet hygiene.
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