Bhubaneswar, June 7: Lilly Behera, a young girl who stays in Kathagola Basti at Bapuji Nagar, has set an example for others by constructing a toilet for her family.

More so, she has painted the walls of the toilet with social messages such as Ama Swabhimana (our pride) written in bold font.

Like Lilly, many others are becoming change makers in their homes at slums brining the smart city dream of a clean, green and liveable city, just a step closer.

In this slum, the women took the lead and ensured completion of toilets in time, bringing an end to open defecation.

They also gave a new look to the toilets by adding traditional paintings on the wall, giving the series of toilets a look of wall art.

To create more such leaders, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation hosted a three-day training programme of 30 women - called peer leaders - from eight slums from Bhubaneswar Town Centre District or Smart District.

Peer leaders or "Pragati Sathi" as they will be referred to in future, will be the change-agents in their communities.

They will conduct a series of meetings and impart training to the community and at the family level to create awareness on gender-based discrimination, child marriage, menstrual management and so on.

This will ensure social changes, which, in the long run, will help to ensure a healthy and smart society, many believe.

Rubin Das, an 18-year-old peer leader from the Shantipalli Basti, said: "Training through various activities is very interesting for me, and I will give my best to sensitise the community and family as well."

"I have never attended such training, and now, I am confident enough to sensitise my family as well the community," said Swarnaprava Patnaik, a-21-year-old peer leader from the Saheed Nagar Telugu Basti.

Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited and the United Nations Population Fund organised the training.

"The project's aim is to develop a youth-centric and youth-led integrated social intervention model to support the citizen connect initiative and promote safety and security of girls and women in the city with specific focus on urban slums, through community partnerships," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.