Sometimes it may be difficult to raise our voice against wrong just because we are scared, but there are some people who have the guts to speak out boldly. Aparna is a fearless and combative daughter of Hardoi, who not only showed the courage to call out the wrong but also took the initiative to correct it.Aparna has been a topper since childhood and is now a software engineer who lives with her grandmother in Hardoi. Aparna always wanted to do something for society; and has been associated with many social outreach activities.
Talking about Hardoi, she says it was once one of the most backward districts of the country but is now an emerging industrially developed district because of its proximity to the state capital Lucknow.
People have started adopting a healthy lifestyle but there are other habits that needs to be changed urgently, she opines. The proper disposal of the garbage and waste of the house, is one such important habit.
She says now government & non-government organizations have started SWM campaign like the one rolled out by DCM Shriram Foundation Khushali Swachhata Project implimented by FINISH Society.
Under this campaign, when the FINISH team reached ward number-21, they faced many hurdles. The team draws courage to combat these difficulties from young and bold people like Aparna.
When the team met with Aparna to discuss the problem that there were some people who were not giving household garbage to the Swachhveers, and instead secretly threw their waste in the street corner where Aparna’s house is located. Since she herself was facing the challenge a large number of animals would gather daily at her doorstep to eat the vegetable and fruit peels present in the secretly dumped garbage. On one occasion a bull attacked a child of her family and the latter suffered a lot of injuries.
To get rid of all these problems, Aparna along with the FINISH Society team drew out a plan and with her own savings, she installed a CCTV camera at the main door of her house to keep an eye on the defaulters. Through monitoring the camera she identified those people indulging in this kind of unsocial act, and soon had compiled list of all the defaulters. Aparna could have insulted these people by putting out their videos on social media, but instead this brave girl, together with the FINISH Society team, started discussing the issue of throwing waste with each person individually and explained to them why it was necessary to segregate and scientifically manage the solid waste. When Aparna talked to everyone in this polite but firm manner, all those people felt ashamed of what they were doing and they all apologized to Aparna and promised to dispose their household waste by following the right path. Today, the winds of change are sweeping the area.
Daughters like Aparna are beacons of hope for an emerging, clean and healthy India.