Illiterate and ignorant of health knowledge, 'untouchable' women like these have no choice but to do hazardous and demeaning work for bare subsistence wages.

Map of project area to provide basic Literacy & Health training for 40 untouchable women. Click on map to view at full size.

2011 Project: Basic Literacy & Health training for 40 untouchable women

This project will help untouchable families to prevent disease transmission by providing training in hygiene and health care to 40 women earning bare subsistence cleaning toilets and raw sewage.

What is the problem?

Currently 22,822 waste scavengers live in the worst conditions in Tamil Nadu state of south India. The mostly women scavengers fall victim to dreaded diseases because they manually dispose of raw sewage and human waste. Illiterate and ignorant of health knowledge, they have no choice but to do this hazardous work for bare subsistence wages. They are stigmatized and their children are forced into the same hazardous and degrading livelihood. This creates a vicious circle of ignorance & servitude.

How will the project solve the problem?

This project will provide comprehensive training in hygiene and health care for 40 women scavengers in Pudukkottai District of Tamilnadu state of India. We will employ nurses to train selected women from 70 untouchable families over a one year period starting in early 2011.

Potential Long-Term Impact

This project addressing health & education will not only raise health & prevent communicable diseases but will also plant seeds of hope in the hearts of the poorest and most vulnerable women & girls of South India to rise out of poverty & illiteracy.

Our Appeal

"We appeal to you who live in ease and health to sacrifice just a tiny portion of your bounty and good fortune for the sake of these unfortunate girls and women who toil in filth to feed their families." -Rajesh Kanna