Celebrating Girl Child! These Two Young Changemakers From Rajasthan Are Advocating For Better Future

Lalita Duhariya is an 18-year-old girl from Rajasthan's Dera Village. Her father is a construction labourer and her mother is a housewife, who provides for Lalita and her three siblings. The young girl does not let her circumstances in life decide what she wants to do in life. Since 2015, she has been an active member of Bal Panchayat and advocates for girls' education and equal rights for boys and girls in her village. She has been actively involved in awareness campaigns that support equality and dismisses the constitutionally banned but socially prevalent casteism and untouchability in her village.

Duhariya has educated people on respecting all religions and castes and above all respecting fellow human beings. For setting an example, she initiated and participated in "communal lunch" on the occasion of Makar Sankranti where she along with other Bal Panchayat members went door to door to the family of all castes and had lunch together and spread the message to the entire community to join hands and work together for the development of the community.

Taught Students Who Had Dropped Out Of Schools

The changemaker taught students who dropped out of school to become domestic helpers for a few hundred that provide them with an assured meal two times a day. She motivated their parents to send their children to school which led to school enrollments and re-admission of children in the schools. As many as 16 children were re-enrolled in the school with her initiative and awareness campaign who dropped out earlier.

In her village and the neighbouring areas, she is famous for her rallies and campaigns on education,anti-fire crackers and environmental awareness. There is not a single child in her village who does not go to school or is engaged in child labour. The most basic changes in the lives of people in a few villages in Rajasthan have earned her accolades from many brands and the government alike. She is a recipient of the Ashoka changemaker award and Reebok fit to fight award. Her awareness campaign together with Bal Panchayat led to the complete elimination of child marriage in her village and from the neighbouring villages. She wants to be a doctor and holds the vision to serve in rural parts of the country

Khushboo Sharma: The Budding Leader From Alwar

The 17-year-old Khushboo Sharma is a resident of Gopalpur in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. Currently, she serves as the Vice President of Maha Bal Panchayat of Rajasthan. She is born to a farmer father who is the only breadwinner of the family. Her activities as a child activist and her progressive thought process have made her a role model for children in and around her village. She works with the Children's council of Bal Mitra Gram and organises campaigns on environment, education and health and hygiene in the village.

The young changemaker visits several villages periodically to make sure that children attend schools. So far, her efforts have resulted in the admission of 25 children into schools. Sharma identified and worked towards solving two major problems in her village, poor water availability and deplorable condition of roads. Apart from these achievements Khushboo took part in a Video Conference during the Nobel Peace Prize Forum (NPPF) held in June 2016 in the USA whereby she had shared her work in the Bal Panchayat and her achievements with the NPPF participants from all over the world.

Also, Khushboo had participated in the 2nd Laureates and Leaders' Summit, 2018 in Jordan hosted by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, which is a brainchild of Nobel Laureate Shri. Kailash Satyarthi started in 2016. India's history has been stained with discriminating acts against girl children, but Lalita and Khushboo are the bright hopes for a better tomorrow.

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