Meet Siuli

Siuli Soren is the first from the Bhababand tribal community in West Bengal to attend college. The Khoyrasole block of the Birbhum district, where she’s from, still faces the brunt of India’s outdated caste system, and these 59 households have very few modern developments. People are denied access to water facilities and are often socially and economically poor. With inadequate water facilities and wells and pumps that dry up in summer, gathering water – a chore primarily for women – is a constant burden.  

When Siuli was growing up, there was only one functional hand pump serving the 258 people in her village. A few years ago, Siuli approached the local government about adding a closer water point. It was a simple request that came with several layers of complication: Water points have to be managed locally, and local communities have to support maintenance. It can often be challenging to convince people to pay for water. 

But Siuli led the way and facilitated the process with Water For People and the government, together forming a local Water User Committee, securing support to increase local contributions, and finalizing the site for the system installation and pipe laying. She even represented the community and opened a bank account in the name of the water user committee. 

The work included installing an overhead tank, pipes, electrical service, and water connections in all 59 households, as well as three public standpoints and connections at a primary school. Siuli also raised awareness among her community on health and hygiene issues. She did it all. 

Because of Siuli’s efforts, a whole generation of young girls will not know the burden of water.