India Access to sanitation and small businesses :
Help vulnerable women in India access sanitation so that they can be safe, improve their health and productivity.
Your donation is provided directly to the women. She will receive a financial literacy training course, a bank account and in a low interest loan. Upon repayment the funds go to the next woman so she can restore her dignity and so on and so on.
Once a woman has a toilet in or near her home she will be provided with funds to set up her own small business. Sustainable businesses include sewing, textiles, artistry, and down-payment for a rickshaw.
Knock on effects from the purchase of only one toilet affect immediate and extended families as well as entire communities. All beneficiaries become role models and benefit from financial empowerment and inclusion for women.
Shanti Life is a member of the Indian Sanitation Coalition
Donate now!Vulnerable women who do not have access to sanitation suffer in all aspects of their lives.
Fear for their personal safety, complicated health issues and lack of productivity as well as no access to financial literacy or capital leave them helpless and at risk on several fronts.
Women have to walk miles away from the home at night so that they can defecate and on these long journeys they face danger including attacks, snake and insect bites. Scared for their safety, many women choose not to eat, resulting in child bearing related illnesses and anemia. Accessing medication from far away hospitals is nearly impossible and prohibitively expensive.
Women are rarely allowed to leave their homes in many of the villages, rather they are expected to nurture in-laws and large families. Widows or those not married suffer further challenges.
A toilet can change a life.
Vulnerable people are often forced into taking high interest loans from loan sharks in order to survive. The conditions for repayment are unfair and create an undesired dependency resulting in stress and non repayments resulting in extreme stress and sometimes suicide.
We encourage the beneficiaries to engage in sustainable businesses where they have experience and there is a need in the community. We provide them with training, though they would have already taken a loan for a toilet and will have experience in banking.
A business can help families flourish.
Bilkis Banu Pathan – Vatva, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Bilkisbanu, is a 35-year-old mother of two visually and mentally challenged children. As a member of a cooperative, she has learned the importance of savings and through Shanti Life has received a microfinance......
Jamila Bibi Ansari – Vatva, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Jamila Bibi, is married to a drug addict and cannot rely on her husband to look after her and her children. For as long as she can remember, she has been the breadwinner in the family and more recently her son is contributing......
Training initiative in Atsaliya village, Hardoi District, UP, India
Shanti supported a training initiative in Atsaliya village near Sandila Block of Hardoi District, UP, India. As a result of the training and committeemen from the young adults, a sewing class has been initiated with 20 students – 16 girls and......
Kuvarben – Mandva Village, Bhavnagar, Gujarat
3 March, 2014Kuvarben belongs to the Darbar caste that follows strict purdah (head covering) for women. To defecate, she had to go either very early or very late in the night. She suffered from insect and snakebites, and feared for her......
Kanchanben - Amuli Village, Rajula, Gujarat
3 March, 2014A Dalit (referred to as untouchable), Kanchanben had realized the importance of toilets and bathrooms during her interaction with the women’s federation leaders. She tried availing of a government grant that required......
Sajedaben – Santrampur, Gujarat
3 March, 2014The 2002 Gujarat riots had resulted in a heavy toll on Sajedaben’s family. But she fought these adverse circumstances bravely though finding a place to defecate in a semi urban area was next to impossible. The fear of attacks had......
Shantuben – Akwada Village, Bhavnagar, Gujarat
3 March, 2014Shantuben, has lived a very difficult life and faced challenges every single day. Her love for her family has driven her to do anything it takes to nurture her family. In order to keep her ill husband alive, Shantuben has donated one of......
Bilkis Banu Pathan – Vatva, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
3 March, 2014Bilkisbanu, is a 35-year-old mother of two visually and mentally challenged children. As a member of a cooperative, she has learned the importance of savings and through Shanti Life has received a microfinance......
Jamila Bibi Ansari – Vatva, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
3 March, 2014Jamila Bibi, is married to a drug addict and cannot rely on her husband to look after her and her children. For as long as she can remember, she has been the breadwinner in the family and more recently her son is contributing......
Shaikh Anwar – Vatva, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
3 March, 2014Anwar is 35 years old, and physically challenged. He is married and has a child. He has limited education but has been operating an auto rickshaw for the past 14 years. The high cost of renting the rickshaw and high fuel prices......
Ramjibhai Rajabhai Sodharva – Guptanagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
3 March, 2014At 55 years, Ramjibhai was barely able to manage his family of 5. He operated a rented auto rickshaw and conducted odd jobs including plumbing in order to support his family. His monthly income was so low at Rs.2500.00 that......
Training initiative in Atsaliya village, Hardoi District, UP, India
3 March, 2014Shanti supported a training initiative in Atsaliya village near Sandila Block of Hardoi District, UP, India. As a result of the training and committeemen from the young adults, a sewing class has been initiated with 20 students – 16 girls and......
