Ashim is aware of the fact that diarrhea had claimed lives of nearly 400 people in Jajarkot district a few years ago and now he is a part of the campaign that aims to get the district declared open defecation free zone by 2015. [break]
People around him listened approvingly and some even heaped praise on him, seeing a school-going child deliver a speech for creating public awareness.
Devendra Prasad Sharma, a local leader of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, admitted that he was amazed to see such an understanding in a school boy.
Students like Ashim from around one dozen schools of Khalanga VDC came together to organize rallies with catchy slogans as part of a drive to make the VDC open defecation free zone by March, 2013.
As the District Education Office (DEO) of Jajarkot has appealed to schools to support the campaign, students from Tribhuvan Higher Secondary School, Shiva Commerical Secondary School, Shankar Bhawan Secondary School and Bheri Trivani Secondary School, among others, participated in the rally.
“We decided to engage students as their involvement has positive impact among people in the society,” said Gariman Thapa, District Education Officer.
Out of 30 VDCs of the district, only one has been declared open defecation free zone so far. Another VDC is shortly going to be announced free human-excreata zone on December 26.
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