“Just 1 year back, Kukudsath was as ordinary as any other village. We had a lot of problems and were wondering where should we begin? 

It all started when ACF trained us on Sanitation as part of the Swacch Bharat Mission. There were night meetings, video shows, posters and other talks, as ACF and village volunteers tried to motivate people to adopt hygiene and sanitation in their lives. We were also briefed on the financial subsidies and benefits provided by the Government. 

It was then that we, as the local Gramsabha, decided to take some major decisions. Buoyed by the changes we started to see, 45 community members explored other villages which had earned the status of a smart villages. 

Today we have achieved 100% open defecation free status, have public toilets for migrants and guests attending community functions. Over 2500 trees have been planted and we have access to clean safe drinking water with RO and a water ATM. CCTV has been installed to maintain law and order in the village, women and men have equally divided their work … the list goes on!” - Bhujangrao Suryawanshi, Kukusath Village, Chandrapur, Maharashtra.