Even as a young boy, Rohit was addicted to cigarettes, a habit he supported by selling scrap metal when he should have been studying in school. Desperate, he joined Butterflies’ Child Health and Sports Cooperative (CHSC) near his slum district. After the coop’s Child Health Educator (CHE) shared scary graphics of smoke-damaged lungs, Rohit weaned himself off tobacco products in just three months with the emotional support of his Child Rights Advocate and fellow cooperative members. He then learned more about hygiene and cleanliness, developing habits like taking regular showers and washing his clothes.
In typical Butterflies’ spirit Rohit was soon bringing this new gospel of personal grooming to his family and the community at large. Bothered by widespread littering in the neighborhood, he raised the issue of people throwing garbage on the street at a CHSC meeting. After wide discussion and voting on concrete action steps, a CHSC team leveraged a combination of door-to door campaigns, rallies, and street theater to bring home the message. Impressed, local shopkeepers pledged to work with the Butterflies’ kids to keep the neighborhood clean.