Ambika's new house is still underway, but the toilet is ready

Ambika's dog put me on my guard at first. I'm in the village of Aagirmangalam and one of the women in the neighborhood led me to a narrow alleyway. A white dog with a thin snout blocked the way. "Ambika!" called the woman. "Get this dog to move." The woman then said to me, "Even I'm terrified of this dog." Ambika, on the other hand, defended the dog saying, "He's very protective of our family. There are a lot of thieves around here and it can get very unsafe." I nodded but kept my distance from the dog. Later, as we conversed further, the dog moved closer. "I usually go to work during the daytime. I'm part of the 100 Days work scheme and tend to be out on the streets planting trees or cleaning canals. My husband comes late from his work too, so our home is left to rely on him." She looks at the dog and pets him. I gradually follow her lead and pet the dog myself. He seemed friendly enough now. "Even with him, we can't be here forever. My husband and I are planning to build a house on a land we own in a hamlet nearby. The house is not built yet, but we will start the work soon." She then added, "We already built the toilet there though. When we had the chance to get it done with a loan, we decided to build it. We don't have to worry about that anymore. Maybe now we can think about a kennel for him now" She smiled, watching me pet the dog.