It is a stinking shame that more than 70% of Indian homes have no access to a toilet. In a country where there are more cell phones than toilets almost half a million children die of sanitation related preventive diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and hepatitis.
Fighting the odds, 13-year-old Omkar Dubey is peddling the wheels of change in Khumariya Dhuman village in Uttar Pradesh. His efforts have led to the construction of 13 public toilets funded by the village administration.
Omkar's father Ashok is a truck driver and each time he was away, the concern of open defecation always troubled him. "In the rains it was difficult for us to step out and defecate in the open. I convinced my grandfather to construct a toilet," Omkar said.
Though the family did not have enough money to construct a toilet, Omkar was adamant. After saving for two months, Omkar's family constructed a toilet for itself. Soon after, the thirteen-year-old approached the village pradhan and convinced him to allocate funds to construct toilets in his village.
His efforts have resulted in the construction of 13 public toilets that are funded by the village administration.
"Our village has become an inspiration for all," the village pradhan says.
Omkar then took up the mission to build a toilet in a place he loved the most - the Khumariya Dhuman secondary school. The well-kept campus now boasts of two separate toilets for boys and girls.
His teachers are proud of his determination. "There are many students in the school but he is someone who has always wanted to leave a mark," his teachers say.
Omkar's inspiration was 9-year-old Meena, a cartoon character who speaks to rural children through broadcast over Meena radio. His grit has turned into a catalyst of change not for just his home, but even for his community, his school and even his village.
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