Today we visited R.G. Patna, a village in the process of bulding latrines. We joined the family of Minalata Das who is having an offset latrine built in her garden. To start with the masons were reluctant to let us help but after a while we managed to convince them and got stuck in. Cement mixing is bloody hard work in thirty degree heat!! Finally we reached a turning point when the mason began to trust us and by the end of the day the tables had turned and he was our helper!
It was great to see the work in action. The money raised is used to provide loans to the villagers so they can afford to install a toilet and pay the money back in their own time.
The mood in this village was different again. It was somewhere in between the previous two. They were more upbeat than the Gaonpada but there wasn't the euphoria of Balipatna. At the end of the day the whole village gathered together and swore an oath to always use the toilets and not defecate in the open. I think this is a very powerful thing to do. I hope this is the start of a new beginning for them.
It was great to see the work in action. The money raised is used to provide loans to the villagers so they can afford to install a toilet and pay the money back in their own time.
The mood in this village was different again. It was somewhere in between the previous two. They were more upbeat than the Gaonpada but there wasn't the euphoria of Balipatna. At the end of the day the whole village gathered together and swore an oath to always use the toilets and not defecate in the open. I think this is a very powerful thing to do. I hope this is the start of a new beginning for them.
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