SANITATION FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

SANITATION FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Recently two Dalit children were beaten to death for defecating in a public area. In May 2019, two young women, who lived in rural India, left their homes around dusk to relieve themselves outside. They never returned home and the next morning, their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree. Unfortunately, millions of homes in India do not have any toilets.

Devi, aged 35, says women normally travel in pairs (sometimes with sticks) to avoid being preyed upon. "When we step out of the house we are scared," Devi says. "And we have to go in the mornings, in the evenings, and when we cannot stop ourselves, at times we go in the afternoons as well. She said, our living conditions were very bad without bathrooms. We don't have any kind of facility. We have to go out."

Rani, who is partially paralysed and lives in the village also wishes for a toilet in her house so she does not need to relieve herself out in the open.

Many impoverished women living in rural villages or urban slums wait until nightfall so they reduce their food and drink intake to minimize the need to go. It is very dehumanizing.

Often girls do not attend school if there are no private toilets, and even more so after menstruation begins. The children have to defecate in the open as they do not have a toilet at home. If you are a tourist in India, you can find children, women and men relieving themselves in open spaces such as fields and railway tracks.

At ICI, we have decided to partner with Light Homes to build 100 toilets for 100 Dalit families. It costs $315 to build a single toilet. Not only will the girls feel safe but return their sense of dignity. Additionally, it will prevent them from attacks of sexual violence and death.

This is one of great opportunities to reach out to someone with love and compassion to instil hope and restore dignity.
 

Your can make a tax deductible donation to this project.

The estimated cost of the project as follows;                   in INR

1. 150 cement bricks  (150 X 17 INR)                           -    2,550

2. 8 Cement bags (8 X 350 INR)                                    -    2,800

3. Sand                                                                               -    3,500

4. Septic tank precast concrete rings (7 X 350 INR)  -    2,450

5. Cement slap for closing                                             -    1,100

6. Roofing sheet                                                               -    1,200

7. Toilet pan and plastic pipes                                       -    1,500

Total Cost                                                                          -   15,100

                                                                                             =  Aus $315 per toilet