Sakaar Sewa Samiti has taken upon itself the monumental mission of cleaning the Ganga Ghats at Varanasi – one ghat at a time – and of mobilizing public support for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that has caught the imagination of Indians all across the country.
Sakaar Sewa Samiti was started by Shailesh Pandey and Temsutula Imsong in Ghazipur in 2011 to promote rural development, education and employment generation as well as rural awareness to cleanliness. In 2013, a determined Temsutula Imsong led a small team of volunteers to clean up Prabhu Ghat, reputed to be the filthiest of all ghats, on the banks of the Ganga at Varanasi. Having garnered support through social media as well as local crowdsourcing, asking one and all to join in, the team took 3 days to clean up Prabhu Ghat of three hundred kilos of garbage and human waste, all the while posting updates and pictures on social media to show actual, real time progress.
The final picture of the mission – of a brightly lit, spotlessly clean Prabhu Ghat at twilight – was circulated widely on the internet as a visual ode to the ‘can do’ spirit of every volunteer and member of Saakar Sewa Samiti.
Apart from the widespread support and appreciation earned social media, Temsutula Imsong’s efforts were noticed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who tweeted about the success of the mission and saluted the spirit of the entire team. The accolades and recognition, which include meetings with Prime Minister Modi, have only strengthened Temsutula Imsong’s resolve to spread her mission of cleanliness to more and more Indians.
Today, in addition to spreading the message of Swachh Bharat, Sakaar Sewa Samiti is also engaged in conducting workshops, especially for schoolchildren, about solid waste management, recycling and composting. The aim is to make the children aware of the importance of waste management and how it is integral to cleanliness, so as to instill values of sanitation and civic sense in them at a young age.
Sarayu Trust steadfastly supports Saakar Sewa Samiti as the organization shares common goals of revitalizing and rebuilding a new, vibrant India.