Jayalakshmi, a class 12 student studying at the Adhanakottai government high school has been instrumental in building toilets for 126 households in her village.
Adhanakottai is a sultry village located in the Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu. Born into a family struck by extreme poverty, Jayalakshmi has braved the odds in her life and remains an inspiration for the children of her village.
Living in a dilapidated house with her mentally ill mother and a younger brother, Jayalakshmi is the sole bread winner of the family. She earns by taking tuitions for the kids in the neighbourhood and selling cashews. Her father who deserted when Jayalakshmi was young, sends some money once in a while.
Her moment came when last year, she got selected to visit National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) after she cleared a competition held by by Go4Guru. She came to know of the competition when she stumbled upon a newspaper while playing carrom board with her friends. The newspaper had the story of Dhaanya Thasnem, who won a chance to go to NASA in 2018. Fascinated by it, she registered for the exam and managed to clear it. When she made news for her feat, ISRO chairman K. Sivan too arranged for her to visit ISRO.
But, arranging funds for her trip to NASA with her meagre earnings was a problem. That is when the district administration, her school teachers, and several other private organizations pitched in to help.
One such organization named ‘Gramalaya’ had come forward to help fund Jayalakshmi’s trip to NASA. But, Jayalakshmi’s response took them all by surprise. She told them that she had already received the required funds for her trip and was not in need of money. However, she added that the women folks of her village were struggling without proper toilet and sanitation and asked the organization if it would be possible for them to build toilets in her village instead giving the money to her.
The team then surveyed the houses in Adhanakottai that were in need of toilets following which 126 toilets were constructed at a cost of ₹20,000 each. Today, the women of Adanakottai who hitherto had to walk 2 kms to relieve themselves use the toilets, thanks to Jayalakshmi. She has now become a kid to look up to in her area and serves as an inspiration to many others of her age group.
#SwasthyaMantra | Jayalakshmi, a 16-year-old girl who has played an instrumental role in bringing toilets to each household of her village in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu #BanegaSwasthIndia https://t.co/XFHzutObN6 pic.twitter.com/jtjOWls3n6
— Banega Swasth India (@banegaswasthind) December 10, 2020
Jayalakshmi is inspired by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and is intrigued by space science. She hopes to make it as an IAS officer in the future.
(With inputs from Dinamalar and The New Indian Express)