Enhance Access to Water for 750 families in India

Dear Friends,

Hope you are all doing well and eagerly waiting for days to become longer as change of season knocks on our doors!!

Much awaited of all GlobalGiving Events, the Bonus Day is around the corner wherein there's the chance for all of us to strengthen the value of our donations - on Wednesday, March 13th beginning 18:30 hours IST and 9:30 AM EDT (US Time Zone), Global Giving will be matching all donations by 30%. At SNS Foundation, our collections for this Bonus Day will be used for the reconstruction of a well (currently only 5feet) in Village Karanjpani with 115 Families. More Details and an attached presentation about this village later in the report.

First a focus on how things are developing in villages which have to some extent had their water woes resolved........... Being in a position to help others does fill one with a sense of fulfillment. I am sure all of you felt the same way being able to contribute to SNS Foundation’s efforts of enhancing access to water for tribal families in rural Nasik, Maharashtra State, India. Pause……….then how would it feel to know that people you reached out to support are now being able to take charge of their own lives. I am sure it is a WOW!! With a big smile running across your face : )

Village Belpali, where your donations were used to construct a 10,000 litres drinking water tank, draw a pipeline connection from the well to the tank and have the water distributed across the village by way of stand posts now has in position a village body constituting mainly of women. This administrative body has decided for each of the 62 households in the village to contribute INR 40 (approx. 77 cents) towards the maintenance of this drinking water facility. With contributions coming in the village is now ready to pay its first community electricity bill of INR 4000 for its first month of daily operation (US $ 78) – charges incurred for daily running of the water pump for drawing water from the well to the tank. Isn’t it a sign of solidarity amongst all residents of the village – an example of Many in Body, One in Mind?

This pattern of having in position administrative bodies in the 4 other villages where interventions have been made to enhance access to water is strongly taking hold. These administrative bodies convince the households to decide on an amount for monthly contribution usually of very small denomination in between INR 10 -50 (20 cents to USD 1) with the aim of building a maintenance fund for the water structures put in place. The amounts are deposited into a bank account opened in the name of the administrative body.

With self-sustenance and self-reliance creeping into villages where the issue of lack of access to water has been largely, addressed SNS Foundation has decided to move to its next site for similar intervention – Village Karanjpani.

Village Karanjpani along with adjoining 3 small villages is inhabited by 115 families. One full-fledged well and another broken one with only 5 feet of water in it are the only two nearby sources of water for these 115 families. By February end, these two sources also largely dry up forcing the women to walk longer distances.

When SNS Foundation team visited Karanjpani in the end of January 2013, villagers urged them to support the re-construction of the broken well. A short ppt. with photographs of the broken well and the budget required for its re-construction have also been uploaded.

‘THIS BONUS DAY ON GLOBAL GIVING, WHEREIN YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS GET MATCHED BY 30% BY GLOBAL GIVING, PLEASE OPEN YOUR HEARTS TO THE RESIDENTS OF KARANJPANI’

• Next Intervention Site: Rebuilding of Water Well (PPT)

Dear Friends,

Hope the new year is coming along all well for all of you !! We at SNS Foundation have began the year by a 5 member team visiting all sites of intervention in the past year, so that we could better analyze our working style, areas of improvement and better plan forthcoming interventions and above all hear from people directly how having enhanced acces to water have impacted their lives.............

Our first stop was the last site of intervention in the previous year, Village Belpali. Just to recap, in this village you had supported the construction of a drinking water tank and had it connected to the village well. The water from the tank is made available in the village by way of 14 standpipes/standposts. Women reported that from spending 2.5 hours everyday for collecting water, they would now be devoting about 30 mins for this activity. Additional time available will be spent on economic activities such as farming. One of them specifically shared that she strongly expects that being able to spend extra hours in the field, would result in increased production of rice (which is sold in the market) from 4 quintals to 16 quintals, likewise impacting the family's monthly income.(Photos 1 to 3)

Our next stop, was the check dam at Village Jhambulpada. With water from the monsoon season still available the place was bustling with activity as womenfolk from nearby villages had gathered to wash clothes and cattle came down to drink water. Women shared that with greater availability of water washing clothes had become a daily activity requiring half an hour of their time from one they performed every 3 days and spent nothing less than 2 hours, also having to walk some 3-4 kms. (Photo 4)

Interactions with people at the pond of Kharset Village was even more heartening. You had helped clean this pond after 25 years. Women washing clothes shared that earlier they had no option but to wash their clothes in the pond, though it emitted a foul smell. The clothes also caught on the smell, but now it was a completely different situation. Also the health of their cattle have improved. Earlier drinking the contaminated water of the pond, they frequently suffered from dysentery. (Photo 5) 

Plan 2013-14: These changes in the lives of people whose voices have never been heard before...........weren't possible but for your unconditional support to the cause. In the new year we plan to reach out to 5 more villages viz.

1. PANGULGHAR: An innovative attempt would be made by constructing a check dam by using used tyres in this village. Benefit would be shared between 1885 human population and about 530 cattle

2. BEHEDPADA: Digging of a borewell for drinking water supply is likely to benefit 715 people of this village as well as 520 of the neighbouring village of Kamatapada.

3. SADADPANA: This would be a relatively large  scale project requiring both horizontal and vertical deepening of the existing well, reconstruction of the boundary wall and laying of pipeline for drawing well water into the village

4. KARANZPANI: Presently there exists a part of an old well which is the source of water for not only this village but 3 more surrounding ones. The request here is similar to that of Village Sadadpana expect that there would be no pipeline connection but complete repair, redigging and reconstruction of the well. 

We hope to have your continued support as we move on in our journey of enahncing access to water for the main voiceless...............

The very best wishes for a delightful year ahead.........