Dance & Clean: Women and Children proactively participated unlike the male participants
A housing society in the city took a unique initiative to teach kids about cleanliness and to put garbage in the dustbin. The society called Arjun Elegance, in Naranpura organised Garba for its members like every year but soon realised that the snacks that were being served at the end of the function was often found littered at the venue instead of the garbage bins.
"We had requested the children not to litter the area but kids have a mind of their own. That is when we decided to have a Garba with brooms and actual cleaning so as to inculcate in them the habit of not littering," said Gunjan Gandhi, the organiser of the society's garbage.
Gandhi said since it was October 2, it made sense to go ahead with the plan. The women and children danced to Garba tunes with brooms in their hands. "Some of the women had gone for special training this Navratri and they incorporated the new props in their steps," said Gandhi.
He, however, admitted that the men were not that keen on being seen with the broom. "Women and children participated enthusiastically although the men were not so keen," said Gandhi.
Anjali Bhavsar, who works with an insurance company and is one of the residents, said that they did not have to make any extra efforts to accommodate the props, "Everyone had a broom in their house so getting one was not an issue. Moreover, we just held the broom as we would do a dandiya while doing the Garba, and wasn't much of an issue," Bhavsar said.
She added that before the Garba was about to begin they also actually cleaned up the venue. "It was important to show the children that they should not litter and so merely dancing with a broom was not enough," she said. So did the initiative help? Both Gandhi and Bhavsar agree that since that day, littering has come down as the evening snacks are served.
"If we had lectured them on cleanliness they would have forgotten the lesson. But seeing so many people dance with a broom and clean the area, the kids have now stopped littering," said Bhavsar.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Arjun Elegance society")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}