The Village Social Transformation Mission (VSTM) is an initiative of the State Government to develop the most backward Gram Panchayats in Maharashtra with the participation of corporates. The partnership extends beyond funding with corporates sharing best practices, leveraging NGO networks and infrastructure in their respective areas of expertise. Village Transformation Fellows have been assigned to each Gram Panchayat who will support in improving the infrastructure and living conditions of the villages.
In the first phase of this partnership, Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF) is implementing water conservation projects in 30 villages in the districts of Nandurbar and Amravati. In the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) space, HUL is providing its expertise in the area of health & hygiene to promote behaviour change in 152 Gram Panchayats. This will be done in the first two phases of the Village Social Transformation Mission through‘Swachh Aadat Swachh Bharat’ programs, Swachh Aadat curriculum and Swachhata Doot.
About Swachh Aadat curriculum
The Swachh Aadat curriculum teaches students of class 1 - 5 about the three clean habits of washing hands with soap, adopting safe drinking water practices and using clean toilets. It provides a conceptual understanding of cleanliness, germs and the clean habits to be adopted in a fun and engaging manner over a 21 – day period.
About ‘Swachh Aadat Swachh Bharat’ programme
'Swachh Aadat, Swachh Bharat' is a multi-brand behaviour change programme synergising the efforts of HUL's leading brands - Lifebuoy, Domex and Pureit to promote good health and hygiene practices and help India realize the goals of Swachh Bharat(Clean India) through initiatives in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene.
About Swachhata Doot
The Swachhata Doot (messenger of cleanliness) program is a volunteering programme that lets anyone become a change agent within the community and help in spreading the message about the 3 clean habits through audio messages transmitted through mobile phones. In VSTM, the Swachhata Doot program would be led by the Village Transformation Fellows.