(PTI)
Daily wager Rajeshwari Devi and Beena Devi, a worker in agricultural fields, struggled to make ends meet but thanks to a sanitation initiative, they have now become not only small-time entrepreneurs but are also ensuring that the villagers embrace hygiene. They are a part of a group of 25 women from Lal Dhang in Mithi Beri gram panchayat and surrounding villages in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand and belong to extremely poor families.
They have joined the Women for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All) initiative which is to enable women from villages and slums to become entrepreneurs. Together, they are assembling to build toilets, sell toilets and wage their own local revolution against pollution, hardship and disease by helping to ensure their neighbours embrace, and have access to toilets and clean water.
“We have faced problems of not having a toilet at home. So when they approached us for the project, we immediately said yes. We belong to a conservative society, so people opposed our decision to step out of the house for this,” says Beena. She says she is happy that the women have learnt something which will enable them to have a better future for the kids.
