Parlakhemundi: Guadang Gorjang, a tiny village of 260 Lanjia Soura tribals in Gajapati district has become a beacon of change, thanks to the work done by NGO PREM (Peoples Rural Education Movement).
With the mantra of self help, the tribals here are setting an example by not depending on the government. The tribals, mostly women, have taken it up themselves to change the village.
From cleaning village streets, drains and roads to checking the immunisation of their children and making husbands give up alcohol, the tribal woman have done it all.
Every Saturday morning, the tribal women split into three groups and clean roads and drains.
Later, before getting back to their daily chores, they approach the local anganwadi workers and learn about their children’s immunisation. They also make sure that all men are at work and not consuming alcohol.
This is the routine of the women every Saturday. Over the years the village with 54 households has seen an astonishing change, showing the way to others. The 260 villagers belong to the Lanjia Soura tribe, one of the 13 particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) of the state.
Besides clean roads and drains, the village has clean water, electricity and smokeless chulhas. Every household has a functioning toilet.
The transformation began with the intervention of the (PREM), an NGO working with support from a foundation run by a bank.
”This is an inaccessible, underdeveloped region. So it was initially a daunting task to work in the village. But the residents welcomed us with open arms,” explains Jacob Thundley, the President of PREM.
The NGO envisages community based care of children and access to education and other facilities. Besides, the scheme also aims at making villages free of litigation, violence, alcohol and tobacco. They also have a plan to reduce migration and give better livelihood opportunities to women.
The men of the village are all working as masons or labourers. Similarly, women work in coffee plantations, rear poultry and make low cost sanitary pads.
Guadang Gorjang has earned kudos from none other than Niti Aayog. PREM is now working on replicating the experiment in 149 other villages.
PNN