Neelavathi wants to build a toilet to protect her kids

Universally, mothers want to provide their children with the basics of safety, love, and an education. Neelavathi from Keelakottamedu was no different. She was proud that her 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son were both doing well in school. She and her husband work very hard to ensure that they receive good opportunities. But for a long time, Neelavathi has wanted to build a bathroom so that her children will have a safer and healthier way to relieve themselves. That’s why she took out a loan of Rs. 14,000 along with a group of women from her village led by Marudhambal. Because Marudhambal was away at work for the day, Neelavathi agreed to share her story with me. I came to their village of Keelakottamedu on a hot summer Wednesday to see if the loan had changed things for her. Neelavathi explained to me that she had yet to finish constructing her bathroom. They have the room constructed but have not constructed the tank or toilet yet. She showed me the room, which was filled with vessels at the moment. In the meantime, her family continues to defecate in the open. They have to go outside, she explained, “fairly far away… The same distance as from here to the bus stand.” She pointed about 300 meters down to where the bus stand stood along the main road. “My daughter is struggling with it… that’s why I want to build it quickly!” she elaborated. Open defecation can be especially dangerous for women and girls because the added risk of potential onlookers and molestation. Not to mention the hygiene issue of menstruation they must also deal with. Naturally, Neelavathi wanted better for her little girl. So why hasn’t the family completed construction yet? Their project will take almost Rs. 30,000 more than the loan amount they received. Wanting to build a high quality bathroom, they simply bought good supplies and began construction. But they stopped short when funds ran out; they have yet to build the septic tank even. Both Neelavathi and her husband work in the nearby fields and do coolie labor. Though their earnings are not plentiful, they save what they can. They hope to raise enough money to finish their bathroom in the next year or so. Neelavathi assured me that, “when we save enough money, we’ll complete the bathroom right away!” Neelavathi looks forward to ensuring that her children have access to safe sanitation.