By Prakshi Saha for Save the Children
Deepanjali, the 19-year-old firebrand youth champion, hails from a small village in Nuapada district, Orissa. She has been associated with Save the Children India since 2019, bringing about a steady change in her local communities.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I find happiness in doing good for my family and society. My joy comes from giving joy to others.
What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is to disappoint or hurt my family. I never want to do anything that will let them down. I deeply care about their dignity and well-being.
Which living person do you admire the most?
I look up to my mother and aspire to be as strong, resilient and kind as her. While growing up, I have seen the struggles that ma has endured. She is a social worker too, and she inspires me every day with her spirit to fight and never give up.
Who is your favourite poet or writer?
Not a writer, really, but I draw immense motivation from the great philosopher Swami Vivekananda.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish to be more patient and inculcate calmness in my thoughts. This will help me to become more self-disciplined and focused on my work.
What inspired you to start your changemaking journey?
When I was studying in Bhubaneswar for my +2, the first national lockdown was imposed due to Covid 19. I had to come back home in my village. During the next several months, ravaged by the pandemic, I paid attention to the struggles of children in the village. Some of the major hardships were lack of access to education, menstrual hygiene, child labour, child marriage etc. Around the same time, Save the Children ran a campaign in my district against child marriage, ‘Marriage is No Child’s Play’. I joined this and learned from different skill-building workshops, activities and sessions. I also received training in life skill education which emboldened me with knowledge, courage and confidence.
Tell us more about the work you have done to transform change within your community.
I began creating awareness in my village and nearby areas on child marriage, child labour, and menstrual hygiene. I organized rallies, and drew and stuck posters in common areas to make the message reach everyone in the village. During the peak of the Covid waves, I, along with my friends, went door to door to explain hygiene and safety practices essential to prevent Covid 19. We also used poems, posters, and social media to raise awareness about precautions for the pandemic.
It was not an easy ride for Deepanjali. When she began her changemaking journey at 16-17, she faced much resistance. People opposed her when she openly spoke about menstrual hygiene. But she was resolved to end the taboo.
She knew that it was only possible through education and awareness. She found a small team of young girls who researched the level of awareness among women and girls of different age groups. They organized monthly meetings to inquire about any difficulties that menstruators were facing. They also used posters, poems, and stories to convey the message to women who were too ashamed to talk about it. They helped women across nine panchayats.
What is a memorable experience you had while working that you would like to share?
During the Covid 19 lockdown, women and girls faced an acute crisis of menstrual hygiene products. They often fell sick due to usage of unhygienic products. I wrote to the District Collector, explaining the problem at hand and convinced him to send sanitary products. I distributed it to women and girls across 9 Panchayats. I also tried helping them get over the stigma and taboo, by busting myths and giving them accurate information about menstrual health and hygiene. This felt like a memorable feat, to be able to help so many women and girls during the time of a crisis.
How did you become passionate about climate change?
My village suffered greatly during the cyclone Fani that ravaged Orissa. I witnessed the devastation the cyclone caused to the homes and livelihood of people. This is how I became an advocate of climate action. I tried understanding the climate crisis to help explain it to others. I encourage people in my local community to plant more trees, segregate waste, avoid plastic usage. I believe that we all have a collective responsibility toward the planet. So, each one of us must do our bit.
What is your motto in life?
I want to become a teacher because I want to bring change to the lives of young people. I also want to continue my social work. I dream of seeing my local community collectively work towards ending all social evils that exist and work for their collective progress and betterment.
Not only is she leading change alone but she is also inspiring other young girls in her community to take charge of their life. Deepanjali shares how several girls in her village received training on life skill education and became self-employed by setting up their own tailoring shops etc. Deepanjali also facilitated online education for children in her village. Because of the efforts of young people like her, one can witness slow but steady progress in communities.
With the voice and action of children and youth at the centre of Save the Children’s global campaign – Generation Hope is calling for urgent action on climate and inequality.
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