2008 saw the coming together of various missions that coordinated and monitored sanitation projects in Kerala’s rural and urban areas. The Suchitwa Mission was conceived to aid and advice local self government institutions in matters relating to sanitation and also to monitor the implementation and progress of the Total Sanitation Campaign in the state.
As part of its school sanitation campaign, the Mission brought out sanitation themed activity oriented workbooks for children called ‘Thelima’ in collaboration with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Children as agents of change
Attitudes and prejudices are built early on in life and get stronger as one grows older. The idea behind ‘Thelima’ was to simplify concepts relating to water and sanitation and introduce them to children at an early age.
Concepts of personal hygiene, benefits of hand washing, pollution and the importance of water and natural resources are broken down to the elements. Though the focus is on children in classes V – IX, it was brought in as part of the curriculum for primary, middle as well as high school students.
The book has been used in all schools that impart education using Malayalam as the medium. Owing to popular demand, the government plans to come out with an English edition for the benefit of English medium schools.