Community comes together to give to the differently-able

[caption id="attachment_84619" align="alignnone" width="500"] Members of Officers’ Hill in Kohima town and the caretaker of the pay-and-use toilet.[/caption] KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 20 : The Naga society today struggles with questions of integrity, lack of transparency and accountability in public life. Still, there are a handful of determined people choosing the path of charity and altruism for the benefit of the community. Setting an example as a motivation to others, leaders of Officers Hill Colony in Kohima town have constructed a toilet for the differently-able, perhaps a first of its kind in the state. The facility materialized from voluntary contributions of community members. Interacting with Eastern Mirror, leaders of the colony said to have received Rs 2, 42, 000 from the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) as a Swachh Bharat aid to construct a two-room public toilet in the colony. However, observing that there were some specially-able people who cannot access similar facilities in public places, they came up with the idea to construct an extra-room toilet. Voluntary contributions from colony members took the funds to about Rs 2, 60, 000. The toilet was inaugurated by deputy advisor of the CPHEEO, Rohit Kakkar, on April 12. The toilet was constructed on land donated by T Khel of Kohima town. The water pipeline was from the PHE department. A wheelchair is available for easy access for people with disabilities. The facility is located at a junction on the way toward the Raj Bhavan Interestingly, Ravi, the caretaker of the pay-and-use, is a mentally-challenged 18 year-old. He keeps the toilet clean. He cleans the toilet after each person uses it. The kind of cleanliness maintained by the caretaker is scrupulous. The men behind the novel initiative are chairman of the OHCC, Khrielakho Sekhose; general secretary Ruokuolhouvo Miachieo; T Lima, advisor for sanitation committee, and Razouzekuo Sekhose, convenor. Saying that every person had equal rights, Lima said they wanted to set an example in little ways that can be emulated by others. Initially the project ran on deficit, the members said. However, they can now pay for the caretaker’s salary from the amount generated by the pay-and-use and expenses for miscellaneous expenditure. One of the members said that Kohima town, touted ‘the mirror of Nagaland,’ ‘somewhere someone has had to start’ for the good of the society. People should not expect to depend upon the government for everything. The community also needs to do their part of what is required from them as responsible community members. Even though their work has yet to be appreciated publicly, the members humbly said recognition and monetary gain was not important. The joy and satisfaction in doing something worthwhile is what matters most of all, they said. The whole idea here is not about the facility, but the support, cooperation and help extended by a community, and the sincerity of leaders, to a common good. Their selfless contribution has indeed brought joy to the differently-able. It makes the society a little better place to live in. A few good men together can do great things.