Bhadora is a gram panchayat in Pichhor development block of Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. The village is inhibited by Yadavas, Lodhis, tribals and people of other castes. After microplanning of the village, six volunteers, including two women, attended five day training organised by the district administration and UNICEF. When the trainers were told the importance of community vigilance, they found this tool a sure shot mean to solve their problems. When the volunteers went back to their village, they made a plan to use it.
They started from Hirapur, a hamlet of their village. This hamlet is Lodhi dominated. All the volunteers went to Education Guarantee School of Hirapur on May 28, 2007 and met their teacher Kamlesh Jatav. They discussed mismanagement of mid-day meal. It was found that the school was virtually a cattle pond for someone’s cattle, leading to dirt and filth in the school, adversely affecting education of children.
After seeing all this, the volunteers went to the hamlet. The villagers told them that their hamlet did not have an anganwadi centre as a result of which pregnant women, adolescent girls and children were not getting benefit of the government’s welfare schemes. The volunteers told them if you want anganwadi centre in their hamlet, they should prepare a list of 0-6 years children, pregnant women and adolescent girls.
The community has started getting benefit of the process. The mid-day meal has improved. The villagers are hopeful that their hamlet will have anganwadi centre some day.