Preeti Tanti: Empowering Assam’s Youth to Combat Climate Change and Protect Children

13/11/24

Success Stories

70

Preeti Tanti is an 19-year-old youth advocate residing with her family in Ganeshguri Tea Estate in Dibrugrah district. She has been identified by Bal Raksha Bharat, India as a Youth Advocate since 2018. She has been intensively working among the tea garden areas along with her peers to raise awareness around various protection issues that are essential for children in the area.

The state Assam, annually experiences the fury of mighty Brahmaputra during monsoon. Since her childhood Preeti has observed the neighbouring areas getting flooded occasionally. But off late, as she grew up she has observed the increase in frequency of such flood causing harm to both livelihoods of many a people. She has also observed that this type of natural calamities have off late become an annual phenomenon. Deforestation in the catchment areas of river basin also leads to substantial erosion of topsoil thereby causing infertility of the area. Additionally substantial increase in plastic usage has also affected aquatic life of the river.

Thus, she has taken up a mission to ensure protection of greenery in her village and neighbourhood. To create awareness on children rights to education, Preeti has formed a children’s network, comprising of 40 children from across twenty tea gardens within Dibrugarh district. Armed with the necessary information on how to prevent soil erosion, the children’s network under the leadership of Preeti have successfully motivated 20 villages across tea gardens to plat saplings to prevent soil erosion. She has motivated the Village Level Child Protection Committee (VLCPC) members in the 20 tea garden areas to ensure planting of plants prior to celebration of any occasion, be it personal or of the community. She along with her peers are also working relentlessly in the community to minimise the use of plastic bags. They are urging their friends and elders to carry cloth made bags while going to collect fruits and vegetables from the markets, so that plastic bags could be curtailed down.

Her action has been appreciated by her Panchayat and she has been nominated at the district level to sensitise her actions for others to ensure and take up action against climate change. She has also remained a spokesperson on climate action in a virtual panel discussion during International Day of Girl Child (11th October, 2022) as organised by the office British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata.

Her on-ground awareness have garnered result. Post the mayhem of 2022 in Assam, the local administration has issued an order to ban use of plastic bags in the district. Presently she is a global face from India, for Save the Children International at COP28, wherein children across various climatic zones would showcase their struggle and ways about how they are sensitizing their communities to guarantee safety for every child. She has also been a part of the global film, Born into The Climate Crisis, amplifying the need to continuing education even amidst any crisis. This film is a part of Save the Children’s climate campaign of #GeneratioHope, showcasing four children advocating child rights across four Climate Belts of the world.

“Over the years I have felt that the intensity of flood in the Brahmaputra basin has increased, it might be due to increase in temperature and subsequent thawing of ice. Additionally rampant deforestation, has also led to erosion of top-soil thus I am encouraging in my own way, my friends and community members, to plant saplings, like to commemorate any festival or Birthday we plant trees”, said Preeti, the climate crusader

“People in our village, are fearful of annual floods as it leads to loss of livelihood. It also implies on children’s safety as well! If we do not act now, then it would be too late,” said the District Child Protection Officer from Dibrugarh. He had further added, “Preeti with her visionary steps have taken little yet gigantic steps to combat climate change. Her initiative to plant trees during Birthdays, marriages or any local festivals have created quite a popular attention, as it does not pinch our pocket yet you can contribute to the nature”.

“Preeti has made it mandatory to not use plastic bags. She along with her peers are campaigning across 20 tea estates in the region to ensure use of cloth bags while going for market to purchase vegetables or fruits. That’s a commendable step” said the Tea Estate Manger from Ganeshguri Tea Estate.

Bal Raksha Bharat is working in close coordination with State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and District Administration, Integrated Child Protection Schemes to ensure protection of children especially in and around the tea garden areas. We are working towards ensuring protection and every last child. In doing so, it has been observed that annual flood and its erratic nature or even sudden change in climatic condition have a direct impact on children especially their education and protection. Thus, to ensure safe childhood, Bal Raksha Bharat, have initiated sensitizing children and communities to be environment friendly. This is being done with the aim to minimize climate induced humanitarian impact and to ensure protected childhood.

Empowering the children and communities in tea plantations of Assam, India. The project is addressing abuse and exploitation of children through enhanced awareness among boys and girls and strengthened community engagement. We are engaging and sensitizing the Tea producing companies / Big Tea Plantations, Farmer Producer Organisations and Union and Association related to tea plantations with regards to Child Rights and Business Principles to protect the rights of children. strengthen We are working towards strengthening the child protection mechanisms (workforce/ structure) at district level with improved capacity to address, refer and respond to cases of child labour, violence and abuse of children

Gaurav Sharma

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