Responding to the clarion call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva Movement’, Amrita Vidyalayam, Juinagar has taken the lead in making an action plan to implement various activities under the “Swachhata Pakhwada” in the school’s campus from September 17th to October 1st, 2018. “Where there is cleanliness, there is godliness” was the life mantra of Mahatma Gandhiji on whose vision the Swachhata Pakhwada is launched. Principal Brni. Rekha took the lead in this initiative. She charted out a detailed plan for various grades to make sure this mission is accomplished in right earnest by all.
Phase I – Shramdaan by 6th graders (107 students) – 17/9/2018
The Principal interacted with the 6th graders first to help them understand the importance of each one’s participation in making the world a cleaner place. The students also collectively answered when asked about the different colored garbage bins for segregation. They were given specific guidelines on differentiating dry and wet waste. Armed with gloves and sacks, the students set out to collect the dry waste in and around the campus. They were divided into 3 groups, and were very excited to be a part of this mission. One group cleared the school grounds of plastic wrappers and other dry waste, while the other 2 groups went to the surrounding areas of the school. The enthusiasm to collect as much dry waste was visible when they returned back with their sacks full. They felt elated that along with their teachers, their guiding force was the school Principal.
Swachhata Pakhwada – Phase II – Swachhata hi Seva by 5th graders (126 students)
Phase II of the Swachhata Pakhwada Mission saw 5th graders participating in ‘Swachhata hi Seva’, an activity where they wrote letters to their parents. The students were inspired by Mahatma Gandhiji’s timeless quote, “A clean body cannot reside in an unclean city”. They contributed their ideas towards making their homes, housing societies, schools and the surrounding areas clean.
The young minds came up with some simple and innovative ideas which, if implemented can contribute hugely towards this mission. The importance of safely disposing electronic waste, creating compost pits at home which would eventually eliminate the need for dustbins at home for wet waste, and remembering to always carry cloth bags and a bottle of water while leaving home which would greatly contribute towards eliminating the use of plastic, were some of the points stressed by the students in their letters. The letters were written on colored paper and beautifully designed.
Swachhata Pakhwada – Phase III – Swachh Bharat, Sundar Bharat by 4th graders (145 students)
It was Mahatma Gandhi who told us, “In a gentle way, each one of us has the capacity to shake the world”. The 4th graders showed how profound these words were by showing off their dreams for a cleaner country that they wish to grow up in.
They used the twin powerful tools of imagination and artistic fingers to draw villages, towns and cities that were spotlessly clean, and named it ‘Swachh Bharat, Sundar Bharat’. The drawings were a visual insight into their dreams and aspirations of living in surroundings that are clean. Their drawings also highlighted the measures taken by the local municipal corporations to spread awareness about keeping the city clean and green. Their emphasis was on planting more trees, cutting down the consumption of plastic, ‘no spitting’, etc. The students proved that the message of Swachh Bharat has indeed reached the ears of a responsible generation.
Phase IV – Segregation of Dry & Wet Garbage and Best out of Waste by 7th graders (136 students)
Mahatma Gandhi said, “You never know what result will come out of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result”. These words acted as a wake-up call to the students when they got ready to participate in Phase IV of the Swachhata Pakhwada Mission.
Students of 7th grade assembled in the auditorium where they participated in a discussion on Segregation of Dry and Wet Garbage”. A PowerPoint presentation on the proper method of waste disposal was shown to the students. The efforts taken by NMMC to provide green and blue coloured bins in order to ensure that segregation of dry and wet garbage happens at homes and in housing societies was discussed in detail. Students were excited to be living in the 8th cleanest city in India, and were motivated to make it cleaner and ensure that it bags the first prize in the next survey, which is possible only if the correct steps are taken.
Students participated in the ‘Best out of Waste’ activity and made interesting items like “self-watering plant pot”, “fan out of used milk packets”, “paper bags”, “piggy bank”, etc., utilizing every bit of their creativity.
Phase V – Swachh Bharat
Students of 8th grade took to poetry on ‘Swachha Bharat’ to express the vision of a clean India that they have in their minds. The poems were written both in Hindi and English.
Phase VI – ‘Ek Kadam Swachhata ki Aur’ by 9th graders (106 students)
Phase VI of Swachhata Pakhwada Mission 2018 saw 9th graders come up with ‘Ek kadam Swachhata ki Aur’, where they created steps leading towards their goal against the backdrop of Gandhiji’s picture. Each step had one unique idea which the students wrote as an oath to ensure that they follow it to build a clean India. Some ideas included “use of solar energy”, “making of compost pit”, “discontinuing the use of single use items”, “cleaning and organizing is a practice and not a project”, etc. Students also made slogans and posters to put forth their ideas and displayed it prominently on the school notice boards.
Phase VII – Water Conservation Methods by 10th graders (93 students)
Gandhiji uttered, “The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers, but on loan from our children. So we have to hand it over to them at least as it was handed over to us.”
Students of 10th grade assembled in the auditorium where they participated in a discussion on “Water purification and conservation methods”. A PowerPoint presentation on measures that can help to purify water and “How Every Drop Counts’ highlighting the impending water crisis that the world faces was shown. Students of 10th grade participated in an interactive session and spoke about simple ways that can be implemented in our daily lives such as collecting the water while washing pulses, vegetables and fruits and re-using it for watering plants, encouraging the practice of using eco-friendly Ganapathy idols to lessen water pollution, etc.
Phase VIII – Swachha Bharat Abhiyan
Students of 11th and 12th grades participated in an English essay writing activity. They wrote an essay of around 400 words on Swachha Bharat Abhiyan.
Phase IX – Personal Hygiene for 1st to 3rd graders (456 Students) – 01/10/2018
Students of classes I to III participated in a Personal Hygiene Day. Class teachers had prepared a wonderful PPT, and short videos were shown which highlighted the importance of personal hygiene such as clean teeth, body, nails, private parts, etc. The importance of washing hands before and after eating food, wearing clean clothes and socks, cleanliness of feet, taking bath daily, and eating healthy food was stressed through an interactive session with the students. Students made a list of clean habits to follow every day and stuck it in their respective classrooms. ‘Cleanliness starts from Self’ was the clear message of this awareness drive.
