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development officers made presentations   toILEt CovERAGE
       detailing SBM’s progress to the District
       Collector. This helped enhance ownership.  On 20/5/2017: 32%
           Maitree was taken aback when she found   On 17/5/2018: 73.07%
       that the administrative offices themselves
       lacked toilets. She arranged masonry training
       at the block level and had toilets built in each   SwACHHtA DARPAn RAnk
       office as part of practical classes.
                                                On 20/5/2017: 6 th
       foRGInG nEw fRIEnDSHIPS                  On 17/5/2018: 4 th
       Setting aside their political affiliations, Maitree
       and the SBM team maintained close contact
       with all the local political parties. “When we   no of SwACHHAGRAHI
       go to a village or panchayat, we are unable   On 20/5/2017: 249
       to understand the dynamics. Political party
       members help us identify actual beneficiaries;   On 17/5/2018: 858
       sometimes because of the criteria, actual needy
       people drop off the list.”               vILLAGES oDf
           When cultural norms proved a challenge
       — allowing men the privilege of toilets and   On 20/5/2017: 53
       asking women to go out in the open —     On 17/5/2018: 214
       Maitree and team took help from the Social
       Welfare Department, child care and health
       staff to launch a massive menstrual hygiene
       management campaign, using shame as a   training. Now, more than 500 women masons
       potent weapon. Maitree also roped in village   — affectionately called ranimistris (or queen
       heads, who asked shopkeepers to put up   masons) — have secure livelihoods due to the
       boards proclaiming, “I only sell to those who   training initiative.
       use toilets.”                             Maitree also found time to tackle matters
           Another innovative approach was   other than SBM targets. She created breast-
       the swachhata savera samagam or morning   feeding corners in district and block offices
       cleanliness meetings, in which the team   for lactating mothers. It is a first-of-a-kind
       requested people to come and have breakfast   initiative in the state and among the few in
       with them and speak about their sanitation   the country. She has also helped promote
       efforts and experiences. Hand-washing day,   sustainable segregation of daily waste in many
       toilet day, women’s day, swachhata champions,   panchayats.
       swachhata awards and other campaigns also   Today, Maitree looks back with pride
       improved targets. The team’s emphasis on   and nostalgia at the year gone by and remarks,
       building toilets for people with disabilities lead   “I learnt a lot. I knew nothing when I landed
       to Bokaro winning the Swachhta Hi Sewa award.   here. How processes and governance systems
           When a shortage of masons was     work, efforts are channelised, basic lacunae are
       experienced, women empowerment was    addressed, to tackle people and get them to
       woven into the campaigns through masonry   work, and so on.” ˜


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