• Welcome to CFAR

Proud moment as our Helpdesk & Single Window Forum members received certificate of appreciation from the Women and Child Development Department at the Khishori Mela. CFAR was recognized as the best NGO partner for empowering urban poor communities with health & nutrition services. On the occasion of the 14th National Voters' Day, the District Collector of Ajmer, in collaboration with the District Election Office Ajmer, felicitated CFAR. CFAR received recognition in the "Best NGO" category for its commendable efforts in motivating and facilitating diverse community groups to register themselves as voters of the nation.

VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS

Sweety Fatima-the freedom to be myself

When Sweety Fatima today 27 years of age, discovered that, though she had been born a boy she felt psychologically akin to girls, she asked herself, ‘Why should I live like a boy? I feel happier being a girl.’ But her family was livid with her thinking and ordered her not to reveal her desired gender identity and to continue with her pretence, lest they lose the respect and dignity of the others in the community. Sweety Fatima decided to leave home and reached Bhubaneswar in search of her new identity. She was convinced from day one that being a transgender was a blessing and not a shame or a curse.

Challenges notwithstanding, Akhila prospers

Akhila Sahoo is orthopedically challenged, with a club feet and lives in Saliasahi (a settlement in Ward 63 of Bhubaneswar city) with his wife and children. He has been an inhabitant of this settlement for the last 35 years.

Riding on his bicycle in spite of his physical limitations, Akhila peddled children’s garments, toys and small kitchen accessories. He literally moved door to door for 10 years to meet the needs of his family. His earnings in a day varied from Rs 500 to Rs 800 because of his toils. His feet was not to cut his abilities.

Transgender Day, April 15, 2021, Bhubaneswar

Some milestones achieved but far to go, say leaders on National Transgender Day

Transgender persons came together to celebrate the National Transgender Day on April 15 and voiced their concerns.  April 15, 2021 marked the seventh anniversary of the historic judgment by the Supreme Court of India in which the transgender were recognized as the “third gender.” The celebration was carried out at Kalinga Studio, Kinnar Basti, Bhubaneswar, while communities, members of civil society and supporters connected virtually from Jaipur, Delhi and Pune.

On April 15, 2014, the Supreme Court delivered an important verdict, recognizing transgender as the “third gender”, going beyond the two genders male and female. The Court also ruled that transgender will be included in the list of backward communities and asked the central and state governments to ensure that they access all the basic rights that were guaranteed under the Constitution. Since then, April 15 has been celebrated as the National Transgender Day.

On April 15, SAKHA, a leading community-based organisation working for the rights and entitlements of transgender, and the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), working on inclusive WASH and bettering access of marginalised groups to all social entitlements, joined hands to mark the day for advancing the rights of transgender, generating awareness and understanding on gender equality, social inclusion and facilitate participation and dialogue among all key stakeholders.

This year, the Transgender Day 2021 came during the pandemic which is affecting the community disproportionately and making everyday life a big struggle. Commenting on their employment opportunities, participants said transgender continued to be out of the mainstream and even when employed performed lowly jobs such as collecting waste, which gave them Rs 300-400.

This event provided an opportunity for reflection and exchange to build a more nuanced understanding of the different gender realities especially in the context of WASH, livelihood and work participation of women, workers, trans-persons.  Representatives of three Self-help Groups representing men, women and transgender shared their experiences of pursuing sanitation linked livelihood and the opportunities and challenges they are facing due to the pandemic.

Transgender leader Meghna Sahoo said the TG self-help group, Sweekruti, formed by CFAR in 2018, was the first transgender SHG of Odisha, and had become successful and was a model in the state.

Entitlements

Transgender are also entitled to pensions, but many of them do not have the requisite documents to get the pensions. The District Social Security Officer for Khordha, Mr Prasanna Kumar Mallick said “The department will organize Aadhaar camps especially for the transgender so that more of them can be connected to social security schemes.” He also discussed inclusion of some transgender SHG in livelihoods in Khordha district. Under Sweekruti project, CFAR and Chetana Foundation will provide help to the department in mainstreaming transgender.

Laying stress on the importance of education, Ms. Sushree Sujata Behera , PMU Cell, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department (SSPED), said, “Education is a must for all communities and equally so for transgender. The department provides scholarships for transgender to support parents in educating them. I appeal to all transgender to complete their education.”

She added that 40 years ago, women were in a similar situation and were deprived of education. “Once the transgender get education, they can participate in all activities including livelihoods, and the government will give them all support.”

Akhila Sivadas, CFAR’s Executive Director, said, “The Day is best celebrated by acknowledging the contribution that leaders like Meghana Sahoo, Meera Parida, Sadhana Mishra, Rani Kinner, and many others have made in advancing the rights of transgender persons” She added that “they need to be consulted by government while shaping the integration of transgender in various social development welfare schemes and programmes.”

Water for Women: Mobilizing, Facilitating and Replicating Socially Inclusive WASH Initiatives in India’s Urban Slums, implemented by CFAR, Bhubaneswar supported by Water for Women Fund, Government of Australia

World Health Day, April 7, 2021 Jaipur

# Building a fairer, healthier World # WHD-2021
World Health Day, April 7, 2021

Jaipur

Collectively ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.

World Health Day is celebrated annually on April 7 and each year draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. The theme for 2021 is “Building a fairer, healthier world”.

Healthy lifestyle not only has financial benefits. It also helps human beings to effectively contribute to the economic wellbeing of society and growth of the Nation. However, COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many lives and livelihood of people. Migrant workers, daily wage earners, small scale and medium scale industry owners as well moderate income HHs suffered a lot during this pandemic with loss of jobs and livelihoods.

Strengthening Prevention for All

The most severely affected in the crisis are the urban poor living in informal settlements. A majority of them lack social protection and quality health care services. Many of them and their family members also live with co-morbidities. The recent surge in COVID cases across the country has further accentuated their vulnerability and put them the risk of communicable and life threatening diseases and ailments

Community Leads the Way

Last year after the unlockdown process was initiated in phases, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) trained a cohort of 100 Master Trainers from the urban slums on COVID-19 protocols. The objective was to keep them informed about this new disease that had hit the world and build their capacities for fighting the virus by following the official protocols. This group, in turn, trained another cohort in their respective slums/habitats and residences so that authentic information was shared with the community and the areas could be kept COVID-19 free.  

The time has now come, once again, to strengthen the skills of these trainers so that they are able to protect themselves and the communities at large from the Coronavirus infection that has made a comeback after a showing a decline for a few months. While vaccination to protect against the infection is on, it is equally important that people take measures that are effective in protecting them, their families and their communities from Coronavirus.    

The purpose of the various events on this day is three fold-educate, build and enabling environment around prevention and protection and facilitate action with support of stakeholders

Partnerships

On the occasion of World Health Day, Single Window Forum and Community Management Committee members, Frontline Line Workers, Slum Development Committee and Master Communicators will come together. Stakeholders present will include, officials from National Health Mission, UPHC, PHC, Ward Officials, Zonal Officials and CSO Partners

The community representatives will reach out to elderly, pregnant, lactating, single women, persons living with disabilities, men and boys to reaffirm their collective resolve to Leave No One Behind and take steps to prevent and protect each other from the onslaught of the mutant Coronavirus.

Master communicators will demonstrate correct techniques of handwashing, wearing masks, maintaining norms of social distancing, avoiding crowded and public spaces.

Information on COVID 19 vaccine will be disseminated by officials of National Health Mission

Activities-April 7, 2021

  • Nukkad Natak in Parvat Colony, ward 84 and ICDS Shakti Colony, Ward 78
  • Awareness on COVID vaccine with ICDS though tradition folklore Katchi Ghodi
  • Health Camp on COVID Vaccine with Ward Officer, UPHC, PHC, NHM
  • Wall messaging in PHC on communicable disease prevention
  • Reinforcing COVID Appropriate Behaviour by NHM and Master Trainers

Organized by

April 7, 2021, World Health Day is being observed as a part of the project, Water for Women: Mobilizing, Facilitating and Replicating Socially Inclusive WASH Initiatives in India’s Urban Slums, supported by Water for Women Fund, Government of Australia, implemented by CFAR in Jaipur, India.

Nukkad Natak in Parvat Colony, Ward 84 and ICDS Shakti Colony, Ward 78

Awareness on COVID vaccine with ICDS though tradition folklore Katchi Ghodi

Health Camp on COVID Vaccine with Ward Councillor, UPHC, PHC, NHM

Wall messaging in PHC on communicable disease prevention

Reinforcing COVID Appropriate Behaviour by NHM and Master Trainers

World Health Day, April 7, 2021

# Building a fairer, healthier World # WHD-2021
World Health Day, April 7, 2021     

Bhubaneswar

Collectively ensuring that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.

World Health Day is celebrated annually on April 7 and each year draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world. The theme for 2021 is “Building a fairer, healthier world”.

Healthy lifestyle not only has financial benefits. It also helps human beings to effectively contribute to the economic wellbeing of society and growth of the Nation. However, COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many lives and livelihood of people. Migrant workers, daily wage earners, small scale and medium scale industry owners as well moderate income HHs suffered a lot during this pandemic with loss of jobs and livelihoods.

Strengthening Prevention for All

The most severely affected in the crisis are the urban poor living in informal settlements. A majority of them lack social protection and quality health care services. Many of them and their family members also live with co-morbidities. The recent surge in COVID cases across the country has further accentuated their vulnerability and put them the risk of communicable and life threatening diseases and ailments

Community Leads the Way

Last year after the unlockdown process was initiated in phases, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) trained a cohort of 100 Master Trainers from the urban slums on COVID-19 protocols. The objective was to keep them informed about this new disease that had hit the world and build their capacities for fighting the virus by following the official protocols. This group, in turn, trained another cohort in their respective slums/habitats and residences so that authentic information was shared with the community and the areas could be kept COVID-19 free.  

The time has now come, once again, to strengthen the skills of these trainers so that they are able to protect themselves and the communities at large from the Coronavirus infection that has made a comeback after a showing a decline for a few months. While vaccination to protect against the infection is on, it is equally important that people take measures that are effective in protecting them, their families and their communities from Coronavirus.

Partnerships

On the occasion of World Health Day, Single Window Forum and Community Management Committee members, Frontline Line Workers, Swacchha Sathi, COVID Sachetaks, Slum Development Committee and Master Communicators will come together. Stakeholders present will include, officials from Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, National Health Mission, Ward Officials, Zonal Officials and CSOs.

The community representatives will reach out to elderly, pregnant, lactating, single women, persons living with disabilities, men and boys to reaffirm their collective resolve to Leave No One Behind and take steps to prevent and protect each other from the onslaught of the mutant Coronavirus.

Master communicators will demonstrate correct techniques of handwashing, wearing masks, maintaining norms of social distancing, avoiding crowded and public spaces.

Information on COVID-19 vaccine will be disseminated by officials of National Health Mission

Activities-April 7, 2021

  • Door to door campaign on WASH and Health with folk dance troupe
  • Tribal dancers will educate public on personal hygiene and safety
  • Wall messaging and sloganeering on waste management by SWFM-CMC members
  • Reinforcing COVID Appropriate Behaviour by Master Trainers across 12 settlements
  • Take Your Selfie campaign with messaging on dealing with the pandemic

Organized by

April 7, 2021, World Health Day is being observed  as a part of the project, Water for Women: Mobilizing, Facilitating and Replicating Socially Inclusive WASH Initiatives in India’s Urban Slums, supported by Water for Women Fund, Government of Australia, implemented by CFAR in Bhubaneswar, India.

Door to door campaign on WASH and Health with folk dance troupe

Tribal dancers educated public on personal hygiene and safety

Wall messaging and sloganeering on waste management by SWFM-CMC members

Reinforcing COVID Appropriate Behaviour by Master Trainers across 12 settlements

Take Your Selfie campaign with messaging on dealing with the pandemic

Dr Debi Prasana Sahu UPHC

Rally on waste management by SWFM-CMC members

Getting children back to school in pandemic times

Bengaluru: The Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) has helped bring children from poor families back to school in Bengaluru. The initiative is part of CFAR’s work to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, particularly on the poor and the marginalized.

CFAR is currently implementing a four-city social inclusion project for the urban poor in Bengaluru, Pune, Ajmer and Bhubaneswar. In Bengaluru, the project is being implemented in 48 slums across 7 Wards in the West Zone where Single Window and Help-desks which are mechanisms that connect communities to institutions and benefits and help mainstream socially marginalized urban poor communities. The seven wards include Binnipete-121, Subhash Nagar-95, Nagarabhavi-128, Nayandahalli-131, Chaluvadi Playa-138, Oklipuram-96 and Deepanjali Nagar-158 Bangalore urban district covering 1, 42,350 urban slum population. The project is being run in partnership with urban local bodies and key departments across the settlements and is being supported by the Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives and Azim Premji Foundation.

When the lockdown was lifted in September and November, we observed that many children were working as daily wage labourers in grocery shops, repair shops, street vendors and construction sites to support the family. As a result, many of them simply dropped out of school or discontinued schooling. The children were earning approximately Rs.100 per day which was a great support to the family. At the construction workers’ sites, we noticed that many children accompanied their parents to work and supported as helpers and earned money.

When the schools reopened, neither of the parents nor the children were prepared to go back to school as they had become earning members of their families and helped meet their financial needs. In one of the government schools, in Ambedkar Nagar of Nayandahalli-131 Ward with 1,100 households, we observed that out of 46 children, 23 were not going regularly to school while some had dropped out and had migrated back to their native places. That is when the CFAR team, supported by Help-desk members, reached out to school authorities and the parents to ensure that children returned to school and continued their education.

CFAR team prepared a list of children from various schools and with that list the Help-desk members and Single Window teams visited door-to-door and counseled parents. In the first instance, 22 children who had dropped out were re-admitted after counseling. As the intervention was scaled up, 28 Help-desk members reached out to and counseled around 865 parents on this issue.

We found that many of the children could not track the day they had to attend classes as the school was running on alternate days. They had no one to guide them as the parents would leave for work early in the morning. Since Help-desk members were located in the same settlement, they guided the children and ensured that they attended school regularly. The Help-desk workers also worked with school authorities to distribute food grains provided under the midday meal scheme.

The Single Window and Help-desk team worked closely with 15 government schools and one Government College. We collected a list of 1,290 children studying in sixth and seventh standards and 102 children studying in eighth to tenth standards and began to systematically work with the children to ensure that they attended classes regularly. A total of 865 parents were counseled by the Help-desk members. From January 2021 we also facilitated 78 children to update their Aadhar cards for their admission in the first standard. The Aadhar centres were set up in collaboration with E-Governance and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the Single Window office functioning in a government building in Bangalore.

#Valuing Water# WWD-2021

World Water Day, March 22, 2021
Bhubaneswar, Jaipur

About World Water Day

The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness on the global water crisis. A core focus of the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. World Water Day, is observed world-wide to understand what water means to people, its true value and how we collective can protect this vital life-saving resource.

Context

In Bhubaneswar and Jaipur, communities living in urban settlements live with very frugal water resource. Access to safe and adequate drinking water is a challenge especially for women, elderly, transgender and persons living with disability. Even those who are receiving adequate water supply face concerns related to erratic provisioning, low pressure and depleted quality of water. Specifically, In Bhubaneswar, the devastation caused by climate change, including FANI and Amphan cyclone, and in Jaipur the torrential rains leading to flooding of kutchi-basti have further heightened the risks for those living in informal settlements. The issue of water further assumed greater importance in the context of COVID-19 with handwashing becoming a pre-requisite for prevention.

Community efforts to conserve and manage water

Against this background, in both cities, Single Window Forum and Community Management Committee members and community representatives have taken several steps both to use water judiciously and manage the distribution, storage and conservation to Leave No One Behind.

At the household level re-use of greywater collected from washing clothes, cleaning utensils is a common practice. This water is also used to wash courtyards and toilets, mop floors, wash cycles, water plants. At the community level, SWFM-CMC has facilitated innovative foot operated hand wash stations, ATM, water tanks, community toilets with PwD supportive design elements for the most vulnerable in accessible locations and supporting water testing to ensure safe drinking water.

On World Water Day 2021, in both cities SWFM-CMC, Male Forum and communities’ representatives came together to:

  • Demonstrate in different creative ways what water means for them and its importance in different settings – household, school, community toilet, and public spaces through cards, messaging, wall writing, games
  • Share their association with water using different creative forms- Rangoli, Cloth Paintings, Songs, Rally to name a few
  • Organize Water Dialogues- awareness meeting, exposure visit, training, public interface to share the efforts made by the community, support of stakeholders and steps to be taken to strengthen access to water
  • Document on video, photos, voices of positive community efforts on water reuse and conservation
  • Reaffirm their taken to conserve, reuse and plan water access for all

Bhubaneswar

March 19, 2021: Day 1: Water Dialogues: Clean and Safe Drinking Water for All; Rangoli competition

Basti Vikas Ward Office 26

Single Window Forum, Slum Development Committee, Frontline workers, Single women, Elderly, SHG members interact with Mr Sabyasachi Behera, Piramal Sarvajal Pvt Ltd

Water ATM provides pure drinking water. Safe water is directly linked to our health and wellbeing. I appeal to everyone to keep the surrounding areas near the Water ATM clean is important to prevent any kind of contamination- Mr Sabyasachi Behera, Piramal Sarvajal Pvt Ltd

Water gives us life. All pregnant, lactating women, elderly should ensure that drink water only from the ATM located in this basti to prevent any health risks, knee and joint pains. All residents in this settlement must take steps to prevent any form of wastage of this precious resource -Jayashree Das

In earlier times we used to stand in long queue to collect water from the tube well. Now through our joint efforts every household received supply water. We have an ATM for drinking water. So, we must ensure that we use only clean and safe water to drink- Gitanjali Bagha, Single Window Forum

 


March 20, 2021: Day 2: World Water Day Campaign

Janata Nagar Ward No 21, 20 and 26

Jala Sathi, Mahila Aarogya Samiti, Anganwadi workers, Single Window Forum, Community Management Committee, SHG members


Jaipur

March 20, 2021: Day 2: Public Messaging though Wall Painting by Single Window and Water Committee members from Kishanbagh, Harijan Basti and Bapu Basti

Public Health and Engineer Works Office, Sector -3, Vidyadhar Nagar Zone

Geeta, Rekha – Water Committee, Asha, Ganga Devi, Poonam, – Single Window Forum Member, Subhash, Hafiz Khan – Male Forum with Mr. Pawan Agarwal – Executive Engineer, PHED and Mr. Hanuman Prajapat – Assistant Engineer, PHED


Adolescent Forum paints earthen pots with messages on water preparing for World Water Day


Jaipur

March 21, 2021: Day 3 : Public Messaging though Wall Painting by Single Window and Water Committee members from Kishanbagh, Harijan Basti and Bapu Basti

Public Health and Engineer Works Office, Sector -3, Vidyadhar Nagar Zone

Anisha, Shabnam, Shaheeda, Noorbano – Single Window Forum Member, Gyaarsi Devi and Manju, Elderly Bapu Basti, Subhash, Kamlesh Male Forum and Sanitary worker, Aarti, Adolescent Forum and Mohini, community representative


Bhubaneswar
March 22, 2021: Day 4: World Water Day 2021
Mr Sharda Prasad, E & Y seeks to understand the Single Window led FSM Initiative with Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation

Mr Prasad is documenting the joint initiative of ULB and Community Forum across different districts in Odisha. He spent time with the Single Window Forum members at the BMC FSM Cell and closely observed the working, management, operation and tracking of cesspool vehicles


 

Community Speak

Jyoshna Dutta, Single Window Forume Member, Sabar Sahi, Ward No-46

If we talk about water, it is as valuable as life. It’s very useful in our daily lives. Especially, we the women are very much associated with it as we have to perform many functions like drinking, cooking, washing dishes & clothes, cleaning the house. Every house has supply from pipeline in our settlement. Each house has a tap and meter. Earlier before the installation of meters, a lot of water was wasted but, now people are aware and use water according to their daily requirements Now water is now available at our doorstep and there is no rush to fetch water.

Bharati Behera, Class 12, Student

Many water related issues like water scarcity, insufficient drinking water, water wastage are now resolved. This is because people are now aware and water meters and piped supply has come to every household. People are now more conscious about water wastage and they keep the tap closed at all times.

 

 

Madhusmita Mallick, SHG member, Sabar Sahi

Earlier a lot of water was wasted due to lack of awareness among people about the worth of water in our life. Now things have changed. Every house is provided with two taps and water meter. People have become conscious of wastage as they know that it will lead to additional charges in their water bills. Most people also understand that wasting water will lead hardships for future generations. Now water bills are collected on a regular basis. Any damage or leakage in water connections is attended within a short time when we make a complaint. We all are happy for this service.

 

Rosalin Nayak, Water ATM Volunteer, Pichupadia Basti

Water is supplied twice a day from 7 to 8:30 am in the morning and 5 to 6:30 pm in the evening. We have sufficient supply water and store it for use during the day. Water ATM has been a good source of drinking water and most people are aware.

Manorama Dhala, MAS Member, Nalabandha Munda Sahi

We get limited water supply from 4 to 4:30 pm once a day and this is actually not sufficient for the whole day. So, we have to store the water in buckets and utensils to use it for drinking, bathing, cooking and all other household activities. We cannot think of wasting this water.

 


Jaipur

World Water Day, March 22, 2021
In Jaipur four different events were organised to mark the World Water Day
Rally with Public Health and Engineering Department, Vidyadhar Nagar Zone, Jaipur

World Water Day was observed with Public Health and Engineering Department, Vidyadhar Nagar Zone, Jaipur. On the occasion as rally led by Single Window Forum, Community Management Committee, Adolescent Forum and Male Forum members was flagged off by Shri Satish Jain, Superintendent Engineer, PHED. Single Window Forum members carried earthen painted pots on their heads with messages for conserving water, access to safe water for all and water for life painted on them. These pots were filled with water and SWF handed over these filled water pots to elderly, pregnant, lactating, single women and persons with disability who did not have access to safe drinking water. At the end of the rally all officials and community took a joint pledge to improve access to safe water for all.


Training of Community Management Committee members on Water-purification, conservation, testing, quality and distribution

A training of 15 community management and water committee members was conducted by PHED officials in ward 6 & 7 on themes of water purification, conservation, testing, quality and distribution.


Launch of TG Signage for Public and Community Toilets by Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation

Implementing the Supreme Court’s Judgement and its guidelines to ensure that the Transgender Community have equal opportunities and equitable access to all services and schemes, the Honourable Mayor of Greater Jaipur, Ms. Soumya Gurjar, launched the signage for- Transgender Signage today that would be used in all the community toilet complexes in the jurisdiction of Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation. Shri Harshit Verma, DC, Jaipur Greater was also present at the event.

Launching the signage, the Mayor said, “We are committed to ensuring gender inclusiveness at all levels. Today is yet another opportunity for us to convert our intent into action. Today on this remarkable occasion of World Water Day, we take immense pleasure and happiness in announcing that all the CTCs /public toilets (PTs) under Greater Jaipur Municipal Corporation will now carry a signage for men, women and transgender. I also want to congratulate Nai Bhor and Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) for engaging with us for over a year in making this possible today.”

Spearheading this initiative, Mx Pushpa Mai, Founder, Nai Bhor, a transgender CBO and Member Transgender Welfare Board, Rajasthan said, “The transgender community faces a lot of challenge in society, and their access to sanitation is even more challenging. This is not just a signage but a sign of inclusion and acceptance. Our community members now neither need to defecate in the open nor be worried of not being able to access the Community Toilet Complexes anymore. We worked closely with CFAR and we are thankful to JMC for this initiative that will be a role model for other states to follow too,” she added.


Public Messaging though Wall Painting by Single Window and Water Committee members from Transport Nagar

Public Health and Engineer Works Office, Sector -3, Vidyadhar Nagar Zone


 

Community Speak

Rekha, 45, Single Window and Water Committee member, Kishanbagh, Ward 27, Jaipur

We are a family of 9 members live in Kishanbagh Basti. The quantity of water we get every day is limited. To save water, we store the water in the pots, buckets and small vessels and cover them. To manage with this little amount of water, I tell my children and daughter –in-laws not waste water and use it carefully. If there is no supply of water on the next day, we make do with whatever little we have.

Many households in the basti have no meter. This does not mean that we waste water. We reuse the water after washing clothes to flush the toilets and the water after cleaning the floors is reused to water the plants. We cannot afford buying water from private agencies, so we divide portions of water for drinking, washing, using toilets, cooking food proportionately. I personally go to house to house and sensitize neighbors to close the tank covers after use and not to let any water overflow because if we cannot save water today, we will face the scarcity tomorrow.

Geeta (Indira Devi) 55, Water Committee Member, Bapu Basti, Ward 26,Jaipur

We are a family of ten. We make do with whatever water we get as we understand that not a drop should be wasted. We have water filter. We collect water which flows out from the filter in a a bucket and use it for washing dishes and utensils, and cleaning the floor. The waste water from washing clothes, is used for cleaning toilets.

 

Phooli, 25, Tila No. 2, Jawahar Nagar, Ward 97, Community Representative,Jaipur

I work as a domestic worker. We are a family of five. We live in the rear end of the settlement near the hill and forest. There is no attempt to connect our households with water connection and there is no bore well or pipeline. Every evening I get five buckets of water from the main road, and it takes half an hour for me to reach my home One bucket I use for cooking and drinking, two for bathing and cleaning and one for washing clothes, and one I keep for the next day. There are hundreds of houses here who do not have any access to basic water, and go down the hill fetch water for their use.

 

Meena Solanki, Tila No. 3, Jawahar Nagar, Ward 97, Single Window Forum Member, Jaipur

I am a housewife and live with a family of six in Jawaharnagar Tila No.3. There is water supply from Bisalpur line for 45 minutes every day. The first fifteen minutes the water supply is muddy. Whatever we get for the next 30 minutes, we use it for all the household needs. Earlier, in this slum people did not care and wasted water. They would leave the taps open. As a Single Window Forum member, I reached out and appealed to them to stop this practice. Now almost nine of the ten households are saving water which is a good sign.

 

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, Executive Engineer, PHED, North Zone, Jaipur

PHED’s role is to ensure that every household gets water regularly Our salient responsibility is to ensure that clean drinking water reaches everyone. In Jaipur, the current water source is Bisalpur line . As demand is huge we are working towards different alternatives to align the supply with the demand. We are also working towards reducing the wastage of water and for this PHED is exploring technology intervention which can be used by the community. Our teams with Assistant and Junior Engineers are working with the community in the settlements to educate and seek their support to conserve water, During this World Water Day, we pledge that PHED will work to supply adequate water, take steps to address grievances and conserve water. 

Yashodha 45, Shehnaz 55, Single Women, Residents of Jawaharnagar Tila No.2, Jaipur

Both of us are single women and do not have anyone to take care of us. We live in a small jhopdi nearby the forest, no water reach our houses. The pipe lines were laid many year ago but no connection has been given. We fetch water from the main road and come back with great difficulty. As roads are damaged we often fall down and our hands and legs are injured. We are hopeful that some good will happen and have recently submitted applications to the PHED for water connection. We are waiting for the day when water reaches our homes.

Gitanjali is WASH and Hygiene Juggernaut

Gitanjali Bagh from Basti Bikash-2, a settlement in Bhubaneswar city always wanted to contribute to change. Her means were small, but her dreams and abilities were not. Living in a small asbestos roofed house with her husband and three sons Sagar, Sandeep and Sangram, she remained active with ideas and responsibilities within her settlement. A housewife she was immersed in different developmental activities for the betterment of her settlement. She is infact the secretary of the Basti Bikash 2 community. Her husband Kabir is a daily laborer and is happy to let Gitanjali be in her myriad roles.

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Single Window Forum members and Community Management Committee members have been a pillar of strength for the health professionals residing in Nirankari Nagar. In the time of growing fear of the pandemic, the SWFMs have been expressing solidarity with the health professionals and also offering them help including occasionally serving them homemade food or simply by being a friend to them. The nurse treating the person tested COVID-19 positive have been staying in Nirankari Nagar. She has tested negative, but her fear was empathised by the SWFMs. Being a medical staff, there is always more possibility of getting in contact with the deadly virus and knowing this threat the health workers put their lives into risk and work for others. ”There is more respect for the profession and for her now,” says Laxmipriya Lenka SWFM. Social distance is maintained but it has also been explained to the community that, the risk will get over after the quarantine period. The electrician working in the same clinic was taken to hospital by Bidulata Das CMC member, Prasant Swain another commuty leader for health check-up. We have more respect for the people associated with hospitals and we will give them all support and help they need, shared by both Bidulata Das and Prasant Swain.

Teeja Devi -Swami Basti, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Teeja, is 60 years of age and lives in a family of five which includes herself, her husband and three sons. All the five family members stay in one room with a tin roof. The space outside the room is utilized for cooking food using a brick stove. Water is stored in one container and the same is used for drinking, bathing and other household chores. There is no electricity and water connection in the house. The family borrows water from the neighbors as there is no tap or hand pump near their house.

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