“Protecting the environment is maintaining public health and hygiene” – this was the motto of Harish, Pradeesh, and Sathyamuthu, three 12-year-olds from P. U. M. S Kozhipuliyur, Tamil Nadu, who participated and won the Environment Impact Award in the International Changemaker Olympiad 2020-21.

A cleaner village was their ultimate goal. They hoped to involve the community and demonstrate what could be done. They convinced their entire community to work towards making their village cleaner and to try to live as closely with nature as possible.

A biodegradable and nonbiodegradable garbage disposal system wasn’t in place in their village. There was no segregation of recyclable wastes to facilitate recycling. There was garbage littering the village streets and plastic wastes everywhere. On the streets, one could smell the garbage and the smell of the neighbourhood was unpleasant.

The cluttered scene on the streets and in the neighborhood worried them and created discomfort. Because of their civic-sense lessons, they had learned that inhaling foul-smelling garbage poses health risks to themselves and their families, and they were concerned about the health of their neighbours and the community at large.

The younger children and the elderly were more vulnerable to health ailments due to the developing/ weaker immune system. The students disliked the atmosphere and ambiance in their community, so that impacted them as well. Animals, including cows, ate from the garbage pile. There have been cases where they have swallowed plastic pieces and suffered from the garbage menace.

The boys spoke with students, elders, and garbage collectors from the Panchayat. Using charts and diagrams, they explained to them the importance of garbage segregation and disposal. In addition, they carried placards and banners around the village. In order to avoid using plastic, they made clay bowls as storage for sketch pens and other stationery items. They cleaned up garbage and plastic from the streets. They displayed charts on saving water, cleaner India, and various factors polluting the earth’s atmosphere.

The group made posters, charts, and distributed notices and bills to spread awareness. In order to create a healthier environment, they took the initiative to teach the people working in the village the importance of keeping the area clean. As well as showing them how to separate waste, they explained what kinds of biodegradable and non-degradable waste are generated within the community, and how these can create health risks for the residents. They melted plastic waste and tried to demonstrate how it could be mixed with coal tar, sand, and a bit of cement to make a durable topcoat for roads. They even filled in some potholes and uneven surfaces on the road.

An impact was felt in how people spoke with awareness and in the attitude they took. Nine of the streets in the village looked cleaner. Households separate their waste before disposing of it. Workers from the Panchayat are more aware of waste segregation and are committed to collecting it only when it is sorted. This is the difference three 12 – year old boys were able to make in a village and they did it by leading the change.

Let’s come together and make sure that children like them get the chance to make a difference in this world.

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