4th January-World Braille Day: from Sultanpur village of Navsari Braille signboards for the disabled in public toilets, Ramp facility for wheelchair access
Sultanpur leading towards women empowerment with cleanliness, 107 sisters started a kitchen garden
World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4, the birthday of Louis Braille, who created the Braille script for the convenience of visually impaired people. As the state government strives for the convenience and well-being of the differently-abled, today a unique initiative launched in Gujarat under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) to serve the differently-abled in Navsari district is inspiring.
In the community toilet constructed in Sultanpur village of Navsari, signboards have been installed for the disabled in Braille script, with the help of which it has become easier for them to use the toilet. Apart from that, wheelchair ramps and grab handles have also been made inside the toilets. These toilets for the disabled have doors wide enough for wheelchairs to enter and room to turn inside.
Ø Communal toilets are helpful for the people of surrounding villages
In this regard, Sarpanch of Sultanpur village Shashikant Bhupendrabhai Patel says that“The place where this toilet has been built is visited by many people from the surrounding villages every day as the historic Jogeswara Mahadev Temple is nearby and a fair is also held here in the month of Shravan. The aim of this facility for the disabled is to provide basic facilities to all sections of the society. About 25 disabled people are currently living in Sultanpur village. ” A garden facility has also been developed on Panchayat land adjacent to the toilet. A play area for children has also been created here so that the visitors have a pleasant time here
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Ø More than 2 lakh individual toilets in Navsari
This operation has been done with the big vision of keeping Navsari free from open defecation. More than 2 lakh individual toilets and more than 100 communal toilets have been constructed in Navsari. The focus is on strong infrastructure and awareness campaign to make the project sustainable. Inclusiveness is the vision of Swachh Bharat Mission.
Ø Sultanpur women empowered by kitchen garden
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of women's empowerment is also being realized in this village which has a developmental outlook. In this village with a population of 2600, 107 women have moved towards self-reliance through kitchen gardens. Through the kitchen garden, she grows nutritious vegetables for her family by organic farming in the courtyard of the house and is also generating economic income by selling them. After conducting a survey, Sarpanch Shashikant Patel organizes a competition for the best kitchen garden and awards the sisters at his own expense.
Says Shashikantbhai“We have started a competition for the last two years to encourage women to kitchen garden through organic farming. For that we fill the form and take the details. Then we get a survey by the agriculture officer and check their kitchen garden on the basis of different criteria. Women are also given necessary guidance for performance. That's how we ten the top three kitchen gardens respectively, We are giving a prize of five and three thousand rupees. “
Many youths of this village are becoming self-sufficient through activities like subsistence farming and fish farming. Necessary guidance is provided to the youth of the village by the Navsari Agricultural Science Centre. Sultanpur village is truly realizing the vision of a clean and self-reliant India.
