CSR: Never Underestimate the Power of Children

Chintalayapalle Village I Kolimigundla Mandal I Nandyal District I By INDIA CSR Correspondent

So what if currently they are not eligible for voting candidates to power for various Constitutional Posts! Their perspective, acumen and a strong will to bring about a meaningful change in their communities must never be undermined. After-all one day they too will turn 18 and participate in the Festival of Democracy. Yes, you guessed that right. We are talking about Children!

Picture this: The Zila Parishad High School in Chintalayapalle Village of Kolimigundla Mandal in Nandyal District of Andhra Pradesh was constructed back in the year 2004. Although there exists a toilet, but it is used only and exclusively by the female teaching staff. Students both girls and boys have been going out in the open to attend to nature’s call, while the male teachers use the washroom at the Primary School which abuts the High School.

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Further in the absence of a compound / boundary wall and a gate stray animals, cows, and buffaloes easily get inside the school premises causing nuisance. The ordeal doesn’t end here. Every night nefarious elements get inside the premises as a safe haven to smoke, consume liquor and gamble. Almost every other morning discarded beer cans, used whiskey bottles, tobacco pouches and cigarette stubs can be seen strewn all over.

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The Road Hereafter: This helpless and face-palm scenario is all set to change now. Soon after Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited in collaboration with the NGO SAMATHA Society for Rural Education and Development rolled out its CSR Intervention pivoted around the theme of Children’s Education and Development at Chintalayapalle Village in June 2022, preparations kick-started for constituting the Bal Panchayat (Children’s Council) adhering to the democratic principles. Children from across the village enthusiastically voted to power the first ever Bal Panchayat of Nandyal District on 29^th July 2022. Out of the 5 members of the Children’s Council 4 are girls and most uniquely the youngest of them Miss Indu who is a grade 7 student was elected as the Sarpanch (President in English). She is quite a fire brand child leader and is never shy to call spade a spade.  More details about the Bal Panchayat at Chintalayapalle Village can be read by clicking here.

How it all unfolded?

The first task that the elected members of the Bal Panchayat undertook was to prepare a Charter of Demands on behalf of 380 children in the age group of 6-18 years who voted them to power in the first place. The foremost, vehement and unequivocal demand of the children of Chintalayapalle Village was to construct separate toilets for girls and boys studying at Zila Parishad High School. The second and no less pertinent demand was the construction of a boundary wall for the High School Premises. The elected members of the Bal Panchayat went from door to door to understand the pain-points faced by their peers.

It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that girls dropout of schools due to lack of menstrual hygiene and poor access to safe sanitation facilities. The situation in Chintalayapalle Village being no different.

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Hence the Children without mincing words put these two Demands at the Top of their Charter which was presented to the Village Authorities during the Gram Sabha Meeting held on Independence Day earlier this year.

Thereafter SAMATHA NGO’s team along with the Elected Members of Bal Panchayat made compelling representations to the Zila Parishad Chairman of Nandyal District Mr. Yerrabotula Papi Reddy Garu putting forth all the facts justifying their demands.

Children made such logical arguments and counter-arguments that their demand for providing separate toilets for girls and boys and constructing a boundary wall for the school was acceded to.

The Zila Parishad Chairman in turn asked the Mandal Education Officer Zeelan Basha Garu to immediately look into the matter and guide the School Management Committee (now known as Parents’ Committee) to seek appropriate benefits under Andhra Pradesh State Government’s flagship scheme Mana Badi Nadu Nedu without any further delay. The Mandal Education Officer emphasized that Mana Badi Nadu Nedu is a remarkable scheme by Andhra Pradesh State Government to improve the learning outcomes and decrease the dropout rate in all schools by taking up various measures including upgrading the school infrastructure.

The Mandal Education Officer subsequently called for a meeting with the Parents’ Committee of Chintalayapalle Village’s Zila Parishad High School and guided the Convenor of the Committee i.e., the Headmaster of the School to ensure that in line with the demands emphatically put forth by the Bal Panchayat of the Village, all benefits accruing under Mana Badi Nadu Nedu Scheme should be availed and the funds thereof must be optimally utilised in the best interest of the children.

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This actually set the ball rolling and the funds were quickly allocated under Andhra Pradesh State Government’s Mana Badi Nadu Nedu Scheme. The construction of separate toilets for boys and girls and a compound wall ensuring safety for Zila Parishad High School Premises at Chintalayapalle Village is underway in full-swing and the work is expected to be completed by March 2023.

In an official statement issued by Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited, the CEO Puneet Katyal said, “Our endeavour is to invariably ensure that genuine deeds for the Planet are perfectly complemented by honest actions for the People. We work at the behest of our clients who are Developers of Clean/ Renewable Energy Projects. While devising the Social Intervention for Chintalayapalle we had clearly assessed the tremendous potential that the Children of the village behold. It is for this reason, we chose to undertake the Intervention on Children’s Education and Development.

Seeing the way our programme has panned out in the last five months or so, it gives me immense pleasure in saying that this is indeed a Victory of the Children of Chintalayapalle Village. As an Integral part of our CSR Intervention our Implementation Agency SAMATHA NGO guided them about all State and Central Government Sponsored Welfare Schemes. Further facilitating their tryst with Democracy and Participatory Governance, we conducted Bal Panchayat Elections. The elected representatives did a commendable job of making their presence felt and ensuring that their voice does not go unheard. Their foremost demands for separate Toilets for Girls and Boys and construction of the School Boundary wall will soon be a reality.

Clearly our Children at Chintalayapalle are the Real Change makers. They Rule the Roost and are absolutely on course to ensure that their abode is soon transformed into a Child Friendly Village.  I am ecstatically impressed and all that I can say at this point in time is that “Never Underestimate the Power of Children”.”

Tags: Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited, CSR, Child Friendly Village, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, Empowerment, Livelihood, Child Rights, Climate Change Mitigation, Carbon Credits, Carbon Neutral, Environment, People, Planet, Earth, Net Zero