Three: Azmat, Repossessing Respect

Part Three: Azmat

Each day, a group of 20 women in Nekpur woke up to clean dry latrines in other people’s houses. They were shunned and distanced from society.

"I was forced by my in-laws to adopt the family practice of lifting human excreta from temporary toilets in the locality. When I recall how I used to do it – with the help of a metal piece and dumping it in my basket – it gives me goosebumps. Each time I used to put the basket on my head, I had to cover my face with my dupatta to avoid the stench and shame as I crossed the streets.”  – Ballo Didi

“We do not like cleaning the dry latrines. But we have to do it to fill our stomachs. If we leave this job, where will we get our bread from?”    – Suman Didi

 

And that's how Project Azmat was started. The project aims to rehabilitate manual scavengers by providing them with an alternative source of livelihood and turning them into independent entrepreneurs. It focuses on eliminating the need for manual scavenging by constructing eco-friendly two pit toilets, thereby conserving water, providing organic rich manure and improving hygiene for over 7500 inhabitants of the village. This is done in partnership with Sulabh International Social Service Organization.

Today, with the help of Enactus SRCC, these women are independently producing detergent under the brand name of 'Neki.'

 

“We have our own life now. We sell the detergent we make. We are self-reliant; we don’t need to suffer anymore. All this was made possible only because of Project Azmat.”  – Bindeshwari Didi
 

Three years since the project first started, we've all gained something from it. The 20 women manual scavengers have gained the most as Project Azmat has impacted their lives both socially and economically. They now lead a life of dignity and respect and have become entrepreneurs of a detergent making enterprise, which has exponentially increased their income! The owners of the two pit toilets have also benefited due to improvement in sanitation and living conditions.

However, these are simply statements based on facts. What truly tells us of our success is when these 20 women talk about all that Project Amzat has brought into their lives in these testimonials. 

And that is the change which Enactus SRCC aims to bring about in society. That is the change in people's lives that we're committed to strive for. With this, we end the tri-series that encased the change in our as well as our communities' lives. This change is dynamic, growing and multiplying its ambit each day. The series may end here, but the lives will continue to change for the better.

- Compiled by Bhumika Gupta and Devika Mathur