The residents of the Soda village of Rajasthan are thrilled at the progress their village has made over the years.
They credit their ex-sarpanch (a decision-maker elected by the village) Chhavi Rajawat for this phenomenal work.
Around 2010, the village was experiencing one of its worst droughts.
Rajawat had a plan in place to resolve the village’s water woes.
“We have a main reservoir which spans 100 acres and several smaller ponds. The first step was to desilt the reservoir to harvest as much rainwater as possible from it,” she explains.
“Madam ensured a pipeline in every house and water in every pond,” one of the residents, Ladu ji says.
That year, the villagers stood amazed as 12 acres of desilted land filled with water, and the water went on to suffice a year’s worth of water needs.
This was just the beginning of Rajawat’s good work. She also spearheaded a sanitation campaign through which she began raising funds for the construction of toilets.
In the two terms that Rajawat headed the village as sarpanch, 2010-15 and 2015-20, she shaped both policies and dreams.
Her career is founded on the question: Despite government funding for rural development increasing over the years, why were villages not progressing?
Aligning with her goals, Rajawat recently revived a defunct college and is already planning for a digital literacy centre.
Currently, there are 550 students at the college. They are engaged in one of the three courses offered here: BEd (Bachelor of Education), a D El Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education), and a BA (Bachelor of Arts) programme.
The computer lab is one arm of Rajawat’s dream digital literacy centre.
“Technology is changing globally, and we are diving into AI (artificial intelligence). But, at the same time, students in the villages are not familiar with using even a basic computer. It’s unfair.”
She hopes that the youth of the village will be empowered through the centre.