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as a research assistant at the Sardar Patel
Police University in Jodhpur, Manish got
disenchanted with his role in just 10 days and toILEtS ConStRuCtED
quit. Looking for opportunities in the social l May 11, 2017: 202,274
development space, he applied for the Zila l March 16, 2018: 322,988
Swachh Bharat Prerak fellowship, having heard
about it from a friend and the transformational
opportunities it offered.
However, nothing he had learnt
while studying for his masters in youth helped Manish communicate better with the
empowerment or with the Hyderabad-based locals. Connecting with them over informal
National Institute of Rural Development and activities was another route to win over their
Panchayati Raj (January - May 2017) prepared trust. This included organising an event,
him for the challenges of working as a prerak where the message of the SBM was shared
in Banswara. “The challenges were big and with the 221 individuals who participated.
numerous. It was unlike any other that I had
encountered,” he says. perseverAnce pAys
Adversity introduces a man to himself Numbers underscore the change that
and the aphorism proved true for Manish Banswara has seen. From 33 position
rd
too. Hitting the ground running from the day on the Swachhata Index for May 2017,
he was posted in May 2017, Manish worked Banswara has finally met its ODF status
consistently to grow awareness for basic target in 10 months (March 2018). Geo-
sanitation and hygiene in 1,410 villages under tagging of the toilets constructed stood at
346 gram panchayats across the district. It an abysmal 0.07%, but with better teamwork
proved to be a gruelling task, and 18-hour and regular reporting this figure is now 74%.
workdays were not uncommon. Manish is particularly proud of the
The biggest challenge for Manish, though, fact that he got a toilet built for his paternal
was to get villagers to truly understand the grandmother in their village. The incident,
importance of sanitation and the hazards which was covered by local media, made
of defecating in the open — topics that are him a sanitation evangelist in Jodhpur
typically considered as taboo for residents. district too. The Swachh Namaskar, an
Motivating them to use the newly built innovative greeting introduced by Manish
toilets every day, and not revert to their old to create awareness about sanitation and
ways of defecating in the open, proved to be hygiene, is now popular among SBM
another major test for Manish. Some had even stakeholders and has been made standard
converted the new toilets into storerooms, practice across the state.
constructing those only to avail the financial But Manish says his job isn’t yet done.
incentive of Rs.12,000. “The villagers were With aspects such as ensuring sustainability
under the impression that they only had to of the efforts, completing the geo-tagging of
build the toilets and continued with their all toilets and solid-liquid waste management
old habits. Convincing them to change ways remaining, Manish knows he must continue
proved to be difficult,” says Manish. his good work to make Banswara an example
Learning the local language, Wagadi, for others to follow. ˜

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