Habitat For Humanity India

Home Partner

Dignity and Safety assured

Laxmibai Pandhrinath Sonawane and her family live in a remote hamlet in Sangamner district, Maharashtra (Western India). The families in this hamlet have no access to even basic sanitation facilities, leaving them to go to the nearby farms for their bodily ablutions. During the sowing and harvest seasons the families have no option but to be in full public view, along the roadside. Women and girl children are the most affected. Given the lack of privacy, they have are compelled to answer natures call only after sunset or before day break, in the process putting at risk their personal safety.

Laxmibai and her family also faced the same problem. But Laxmi’s plight was compounded by the fact that her daughter was blind. Her daughter Meena needed to be accompanied by some female member of the family each time she needed to go. The family was unable to build a toilet as the costs involved was beyond their means.

Habitat for Humanity India introduced the Low cost rural pan toilets to their partner NISD and the community in Sangamner. These toilets pans are more economical with costs that are lower ( USD 5.50) than the regular pans available in the market( USD 17.00) and having low water usage.

Laxmibai, being a member of the local self-help group had some savings with the group, which she promptly used for constructing the needed facitlity. With the help of Habitat and NISD the family built their own toilet.

Now Meena can use the toilet at any time of the day and needs no assistance to get there, in the process, having her dignity and that of the other women folk in the family, restored.