In a perfect example of taking up social responsibility, our Rural Toilet Building trainees (all women) of Kanti village, Haryana have brought about a transformation in their community by addressing sanitation and hygiene issues. Kanti has long suffered with roads that are full of stagnant water, pathogens, and other waste. Moreover, Haryana still has a poor track record in regard to quality of life indicators such as health, mortality, and sex ratio. However, things began to take a positive turn in recent month, because some of the women resolved to make a difference.

The women’s group filed an application with their ‘Sarpanch’, (point of contact between government officers & village community) in an effort to get the authorities help to repave the road. This bold move was something new for the women and there was uncertainty as to whether their voices would be heard. There had been a lot of resistance to such a project in the past because some villagers feared any road repairs would encroach on their homes. However, work began and an amazing transformation unfolded. Once the finished result was observed and the dissenters realized no personal property would be sacrificed in the repairs, similar projects are now underway throughout the village.

For these women, sky’s the limit; having taken a first step in a positive direction has opened new doors and broken barriers that once seemed impenetrable.

#WESanitation #SocialResponsibility #ChangeAgents #sanitation