Not Only PM Modi, THIS Indian Girl Was Also Awarded By Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation

Payal Jangid, a 17-year-old girl from Rajasthan’s Hinsla village on Wednesday won the 'Changemaker' award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in New York. Payal served as the head of the Bal Panchayat (Children's Council) in her village as part of the 'Bal Mitra Gram' (Child-Friendly Village) program, which comes under Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi's Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA).

Taking to twitter, Satyarthi while congratulating her wrote: "Sumedha ji and I are so proud and moved to watch our daughter Payal receiving Changemaker Award from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation now in New York. She refused her marriage and her entire village was free from child marriages and labour.

I'm extremely happy, PM also got this award. The way I've eradicated these problems in our village, want to do same globally, says Payal Jangid on receiving #ChangemakerAward for her campaign to end child labor & child marriage in Rajasthan, reports ANI.https://t.co/Lg1B7PFTOI pic.twitter.com/aPcSzlqOse

— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) September 25, 2019

The prestigious award, part of the Goalkeepers Global Goal Awards, is given every year to a world leader for achievement in a specific SDG (Sustainable Development Goal). President Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia and Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway are amongst some of the previous winners.

Along with Payal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the 'Global Goalkeeper' award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'. He was given the award by Bil Gates. Accepting the award, PM Modi said he shared the honour with crores of Indians who had contributed to the success of the cleanliness mission. 

"This honour is not mine but of the crores of Indians who not only fulfilled the Swachh Bharat dream but also made it a part of their daily lives," he said. PM Modi added that when 130 crore people take a pledge, any challenge can be overcome.

PM Modi said that getting the award in the year of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary was personally significant for him.

"I am happy that Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of sanitation and cleanliness is now being fulfilled," he said.

Talking about the scheme, PM Modi said, "In last five years more than 11 crore toilets were constructed. If this mission has benefited someone the most it is the poor of this country and the women."

"The Swacch Bharat campaign has benefitted women the most; it was one of the biggest problems for the women and daughters. They used to wait for evening to go out to defecate. Many girls had to stop studying due to lack of a toilet in schools. It was the responsibility of my government to tackle this problem and we did it with sincerity," he added.