Rama Krishna Sangem
A Jaya Laxmi, 20 year girl from a garbage collector family and herself too is in the job helping her parents wants to become an IAS officer. Perhaps she is the youngest to be felicitated by Telangana government recently as a woman achiever and presented a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh, along with 17 other eminent women from different fields. This girl has been selected fro m social service and children category.
Jaya Laxmi, now pursuing her BA second year from St Francis College, Begumpet, in Hyderabad comes from a Dalit family – as her parents Rama Mohan and Usenamma – are into the profession of garbage collection for several years. Jaya has a younger sister. Her entire family involves in this activity of family professoin. They do collect garbage – wet and dry – from several households of their locality in the city.
“We don’t get any support from the civic bodies or government. We just thrive on Rs 100 per month given by each family for collecting garbage and some plastic material that comes along,” said Jaya Laxmi while talking to Excel India on March 17, Sunday. Ram Mohan’s family patiently segregates plastic material from the garbage they collect daily for their livelihood. Is this manual segregation risky and not good for health? Maybe.
She is PM of children’s parliament
But there’s another side to Jaya Laxmi too. That is – she is a prime minister of children’s parliament conducted by MSI (Montfort Social Institute), Uppal, Hyderabad. She can speak Telugu and English fluently. After seeing her leadership qualities at this parliament, Jaya has been elevated as Deputy PM of international children’s parliament for 9 countries including the US, Brazil and Mexixo.
What’s this children’s parliament? This is a concept introduced and practiced by MSI for long as part of its efforts to promote democratic culture among children and youth. They believe in concepts like Neighbourocracy where all members of a neighbourhood discuss and sort out their issues and Sociocracy, where members of a society debate and solve all their problems.
Br Varghese, who mentored and encouraged Jaya and 1,200 other children from underprivileged families in the city told Excel India that – “Listening and understanding others point of view is key to success of a democracy. We want to build these qualities among children. These children of underprivileged families are excelling in learning values of democracy at our parliament”.
MSI works for underprivileged in slums of Hyderabad and organizes children’s parliament in 30 schools in the city. Jaya Laxmi’s joy knew no bounds as she received the women achiever’s award from Telangana women development and child welfare minister P Seethakka on March 14. Seethakka and Telangana Women Development Secretary V Karuna, IAS. Jaya Laxmi wants to use Rs 1 lakh reward money for her civil services preparations.
Jaya Laxmi, Br Varghese, Rama Krishna Sangem
