A frequent attendee of our meetings, Ullasi has been associated with MHT for a few years. Now, as she gets older, she finds it more difficult to come and sit in the office for long periods of time.

One of the first few residents of Savda, she has lived in the colony for over a decade. Her son and his family lives with her in the same house.

She heard that we were providing subsidies for the construction of a toilet from one of our field officers. Around the same time, she had fallen while fetching water and hurt her leg. The decision to construct a toilet in her home was, therefore, critical. She would no longer have to go far to defecate openly or use the community toilet, and her physical health would be much better off as a result.

The community toilet was maintained so badly that she would often not want to enter her own home after using it. “It is not my toilet, so using it and seeing other people dirty it is very unpleasant and makes me feel disgusted.” Now, she has been using only her individual toilet over the past couple of years.

While water is a significant issue in the colony, Ullasi ensures that she collects enough water in the big drum outside her house so that she can keep her toilet clean. “We need water.  Even if I have less drinking water, I will drink less. But I need water in the toilet. If there is water and it is clean, I feel good.”