October 2, Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated across India to mark birthday of Mahatma Gandhi who is regarded as father of the Nation in our country. SBI Gram Sewa Project, initiated by SBI Foundation, draws inspiration from the call of Gram Swaraj by him. Therefore, while implementing the project in Rayagada district of Odisha, a celebration was organized by Prayatn Sanstha on this day at Baising village, of the district. The programme brought together youth, students, community members and the Prayatn Sanstha team to promote cleanliness, environmental awareness, youth participation and community responsibility, in line with the spirit of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The programme was marked by the presence of Shri Birima Majhi, Sarpanch of Baising Gram Panchayat, who appreciated the initiative and called all stakeholders to work jointly for village development.
As part of the programme, Speech, Essay Writing and Debate Competitions were organized, witnessing enthusiastic participation from local youth and students. A total of 50 participants took part in the activities, including 25 participants in the Essay Writing Competition 17 in Speech and 8 participants in the Debate Competition. The competitions provided young participants with a platform to express their ideas and engage with themes related to environmental awareness, cleanliness and social responsibility.
As the day is also celebrated as Swachhata Diwas, the programme also included a Community Cleanliness Drive under the Swachh Bharat Mission, in which students of the Shaheed Laxman Nayak Youth Training Centre, students from Jurudi Model School and community members actively participated. The cleanliness drive encouraged participants to work together to keep their surroundings clean and reinforced the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy community.
A Youth Pledge was also conducted, emphasizing responsible citizenship, cleanliness and active participation in community development. Alongside this, the Rangoli Competition provided students and youth with an opportunity to showcase their creativity and convey meaningful messages through art.
The winners of the Essay Writing, Debate and Rangoli Competitions were felicitated with prizes and certificates in recognition of their participation and performance. The active participation of students, youth, community members and the Prayatn Sanstha team made the programme meaningful and engaging. A total of 60 community members took part in the programme.
The Gandhi Jayanti Youth Programme reinforced the importance of cleanliness, environmental awareness, youth participation and collective community responsibility. The programme reflected the shared efforts of Prayatn Sanstha and SBI Foundation under the SBI Gram Seva Project to encourage rural youth and communities to actively contribute towards cleaner and more responsible communities.
