Anandhavall: Made happier with her own toilet

I met Anandhavalli on hot friday morning, my first Guardian field visit. She greeted me with her lovely smile and we sat down on the pavement in her courtyard. She leads a JLG consisting of four other women living in the Musiri Town Panchayat. Her husband is a truck driver and her son is doing his B.Tech from Anna University. She is a tailor by profession. She told me that makes around Rs.5,000 from her tailoring business every month. 

Before constructing her own toilet and bathroom six months ago, she'd been using the public lavatory, some 500 meters from her house. I asked her what prompted her to avail a loan from Guardian to build her own loo, to which she said that she'd attended a campaign held by Gramalaya to spread awareness against open defecation. Her son also insisted that they should have some privacy while relieving themselves. Earlier there was difficulty in taking out a lump sum amount for the purpose of constructing their own toilet, but now the loan installment of Rs. 650 a month isn't so burdensome to pay.  
 

 
Anandhavalli radiating with happiness
 

Now that the family has access to their a private toilet and bathroom, life has become much simpler for them. They save time from standing in queue outside the public toilets. There is also a greater sense of neatness and privacy that they enjoy. Her family leads a healthier life now.