BHOPAL: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) completed its 70 years of foundation on Wednesday and to celebrate the day UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh organized an event where children from different parts of the state gathered and shared their stories at Samanvay Bhawan. Keeping the event exclusively dedicated to children, UNICEF invited stories of success from villages of Harda, Indore and Bhopal focusing on the role played by students in making their villages open defecation free. Actress Dia Mirza, JN Kansotiya, principal secretary, woman and child development, Hemwati Verman, state coordinator of Swachh Bharat Mission, Nirmala Buch, President, Child Rights Observatory, Michael Juma, the chief of Madhya Pradesh unit of UNICEF were present at the event to encourage the children for stepping forward to change the society. Kansotiya said, “The UNICEF has been working along with the government for development of children and it has played a very important role in bringing awareness about child rights”.
Verman said, “The UNICEF has played an important role in motivating the children to curb open defecation in two districts and in coming years all districts of Madhya Pradesh will be made open defecation free with the help of children, who have shown more responsible attitude in changing society than any elder.”
Won’t let stardom stop me from connecting with people: Mirza
Bollywood actress Dia Mirza advocating child rights said that children are gift for society. “Children are my favorite because they pour their heart out, have empathy and sensitivity alive in them. They are enthusiastic for changing what is wrong. The more questions you ask, people will have to change to answer you. There is hope for a better change because there are children who are our present as well as our future”, she said while addressing the children present in the auditorium. Adding she said, “Children don’t wait for the time to change itself but they become the change. My stardom is of no use, if I cannot connect with people and be a part of the change and be of use for society.”
Vanar Sena’s resolve makes villages to become ODF
Vanar Sena, the group of children from Nazarpur and Morod village of Harda and Indore district took charge of making their village open defecation free. “When we understood that open defecating will only cause harm to us, we decided that we will not let anyone from our village to go in open for defecating. We used whistles, clapping, distributed posters, stole their lotas to stop them from doing so”, said the members of Vaanar Sena. Children groups of Bhopal Aarambh and Muskan also recited stories about how they are working to change their areas.
