Provide rural women with toilets. Help Indian villages become open-defecation free

Toilets- not yet a fundamental right for all

It’s 4 am. The sun won't rise for another hour, the roosters are still fast asleep. The sound of women chattering and threading along the muddy roads fills the cold air of the tribal hamlet of Kasarwadi. Holding buckets of water, under the cloak of darkness, they walk miles to find a clean spot in the fields to relieve themselves.

“This has been the practice of our women for generations. Every day, we step out of the house in fear. There are venomous snakes around. We risk catching infectious diseases. Sometimes men jeer at us. We either walk in groups or move in pairs to avoid being preyed upon. The state of menstruating and pregnant women are far more pathetic” – Paru.

Paru- a champion of change

Paru Mahishwar Hire, 38, a member of Kasarwadi Swades Samiti was repulsed by this practice. For 15 years, she desired to have a toilet in her house. But for someone who lives under a thatched roof and a mud wall, dreaming for a concrete toilet with a latrine was a luxury. But with the help of ‘Swades Foundation’, she was determined to bring change and took matters into her own hands.

“I knew I cannot bring change in the practices of my people in a day. It took time. With the help of Swades I first built a toilet in my house with just Rs. 500. When they saw me using the toilet, a few came forward eagerly to have theirs built too”.

Seeing the increasing interest, Paru gathered other women and visited every house in the hamlet to encourage them on building a toilet of their own. She advocated the importance of hygiene and made everyone believe in her dream of a clean and open-defecation free environment.

Swades Foundation helps in building toilets

To support this dream, Swades Foundation ensured to help build toilets in every household in Kasarwadi by receiving only a sum of 500 rupees as remuneration. Their team actively visited the region, understood the requirements and implemented the sanitation project successfully.

“Some families showed interest while others mocked at me. Building a toilet would cost around Rs. 30,000 and they thought it’s impossible to build one with Rs. 500. But I knew the scenario would eventually change…and slowly it did”

With the help of Swades, Paru made a bigger change that was much needed. Within a short span, 32 out of 37 houses in the hamlet had their own toilets. While the remaining 5 are under construction, Kasarwadi will soon be declared an open-defecation free village.

“There has been a huge change in our lives. Our children can now grow up in a healthy environment. The women can defecate in dignity near the comforts of their house. It wouldn’t be possible without Swades. With a little investment, they have given our village a lifetime of increasing health, hygiene and happiness”.

There are many villages which don’t have toilets yet

Like Kasarwadi, there are several small hamlets in the depths of rural Maharashtra that dream of having proper sanitation. For Namrata Narayan Vaara of Dariyagadh, Raigad it is still a struggle. “Our village has 220 households in total. Many households do not have toilets and people face a lot of difficulties due to that. Not everyone is financially equipped to pay for construction of toilets. They may also not be physically fit or have the circumstances to help or construct toilets on their own. Hence, it’s very important to have toilets in every household. And I request your help in making this happen,” she appeals. 

Swades Foundation aims to reach every single household, build a toilet, give them a dignified life and make Maharashtra open-defecation free.

 For every little contribution you make, you will open doors to a new toilet in rural Maharashtra. Donate now.