Every family needs water to drink, make food, wash self and clothes, and perform other basic daily activities. Water is provided to us and we use it as per our needs. However, in many places, these water are carried by women and young girls in large vessels, which are quite heavy. Yes, water indeed is heavy. We do not know because we never really had to carry gallons of water on our shoulder and walk for miles. However, these unfortunate women have to face this difficulty, day in and day out, several times per day, carrying water and delivering them to several households, including their own.
The water, besides being heavy, may not always be safe to drink. Also, collection of water is time consuming, due to which it limits opportunities for other constructive activities such as education.
Cynthia Koenig comes up with a device to carry water that has been named as Wello. It is cylindrical in structure and can be rolled on the ground with a long handle attached to it. Wello is the result of an emphatic and extensive design process. It is convenient leading to benefits of 35 extra hours per week. It is ergonomic, durable, and ensures that water stays clean as it was meant to be. Its Matka shape is aesthetically pleasing and carries an affordable price tag of Rs 750 – 1000.
Cynthia and her team is also in a process of continuous innovation that would result in better filtration, drip irrigation, energy generation and advertising.
We, the
privileged people, have started taking the basic rights of living for granted.
We have a place to live, food to eat, access to education and a valid identity.
However, there are several Nomadic and De-notified Communities of Gujarat who
do not have any of these. They live in isolation, devoid of the basic amenities
needed for survival, and dwell in darkness away from the sun.
The Nomadic
Tribes used to earn their livings by entertaining people with several tricks
and skills which were their specialities.
Ishwarbhai was a snake charmer who now fell victim to ‘The Wild Life
Protection Act.’ As he can’t use snakes anymore, he has to resort to begging.
Today, the world is ruled by technology. Who would like to watch the skills of
this tribes when entertainment is available to them with a few clicks? Nomadic
tribes such as Nat (playing acrobat), Sarania (sharpening knives and tools),
Natda (walking on rope), Bhavaiya (performing folk plays), Turi-Barot (playing
dhol), Bahurupi (self disguising), Gadalia (making iron tools), Kangasia
(making wooden combs) and Lawaria (selling iron stoves) have thus been victims
of technological advancements.
The British
Government in 1872 notified 200 odd communities as Criminals. Even though their
current generation is not involved in any sort of crime, they are still
enlisted in police records. They have no permanent address, nor counted by any
form of census. Their children can’t go to schools, and they are not
acknowledged by the villagers. Quiet shockingly, in Vadia (a village in North Gujarat),
the whole of nomadic tribe ‘Sarania’ is involved in prostitution.
The concerns
of these communities were finally addressed by Mittal Patel and VSSM (Vicharta Samuday Samarthan
Manch). VSSM works for the right and welfare of Nomadic (Vicharti) and
De-Notified (Vimukta) Communities. It helps to mainstream these communities by
enabling them to fight for their rights. Today, almost 22000 families are
connected with VSSM in 9 districts of Gujarat. VSSM runs 26 alternate schools
where 1040 children are enrolled, 1000 of them being main streamed. VSSM has
also provided access to these communities to Voter ID Cards, Houses,
Residential Plots, Ration Cards, Bank Accounts and several Government Welfare
Schemes. With the help of the Chief Electoral Officer and the identification
given by VSSM, for the first time more than 20000 people of these communities
got their Election Cards. Also, VSSM arranged for mass marriage ceremonies
where 8 girls of Vadia Village got married and 12 got engaged. This was done to
free the women from prostitution.
In days to
come, VSSM aims that these communities have social and economic development so
that they can live a dignified life.
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