Puppetry Promotes Public Cleanliness

In Rajasthan, an NGO uses puppet shows to raise awareness on environmental issues.

As in many places in India, garbage and pollution are major problems in Rajasthan. According to Sunita, “littered garbage is a big issue, because people are not aware of the related risks”.

Some organisations have decided to take action. Thus, Nib and Lens Communication have launched a campaign to raise awareness on environmental issues, such as littered garbage and water waste. In order to reach a wider audience, the NGO has decided to use puppetry, an important part of traditional culture in Rajasthan. Thus, the message is conveyed in the form of drama, songs or entertaining stories. Sunita noticed that “people are very supportive during the show”.

And it seems the campaign has been a success. For Sunita, there was definitely a change: “people were more educated, including myself. The place has become cleaner, people are not dumping garbage in front of their house anymore”. Now, the government has to take note of this change, and should provide for more bins and increases garbage collection.

For Sunita, Nib and Lens Communication now should keep on campaigning using other mediums, such as local TV channels and newspapers. She hopes her video could play a role in this campaign, and will bring about some more changes around her.

Sunita Kasera
I live in Karauli, Rajasthan with my husband and children. I was in the process of completing my Master’s degree when I got married. My father promised me that I could continue my studies after marriage, but my in-laws didn’t allow it. So in the beginning I was a housewife confined to four walls. But my husband is very supportive and as our family grew, I needed to earn so I started working for an NGO dealing with empowerment of women, water harvesting and informing people about public schemes available. I’ve always had a lot of interest in politics and development, and when I heard about Video Volunteers I decided to apply. Since I started making videos, I have become well known in my locality. I talk to a lot of people from all backgrounds, people approach me with problems and this makes me feel good, like I’m doing something. I love meeting people and researching stories. I am now in contact with several government officials, and I was the first women to be invited to join the Press Committee and it makes me feel proud.

Sunita Kasera has produced 35 stories for us.