In the absence of funds to maintain toilets and other facilities, teachers of a government-aided school in Sundarbans and local activists have roped in the services of a group of students to maintain hygiene of the campus.
The teachers of Durbachati Milan Vidyapith and local activists teach students how to do the cleaning part themselves and even raise funds for the purpose.
Before, after or during school hours, whenever the children, including girls, find time, they volunteer for the job.
Out of the 1,400 students of the government-aided school in Patharpratima block, a small group of 40 students is part of the WATSAN (water and sanitation) committee which looks after the hygiene in the campus.
"Initially, we were a little hesitant on taking up the job of cleaning, but gradually when we saw even our teachers doing it, we picked it up and made it a habit," Class X student Sukalyan Sen told the visiting correspondent.
With the guidance of an international NGO , the headmaster, Jyotirmoy Jana, led the initiative of motivating the students who are also collecting funds to buy cleaning equipment like broom, toilets cleaners, etc.
15-year-old Sinchal Nayak goes around classrooms and even the village collecting money which will fund the initiative. They are even opening a bank account for the purpose.
