India
Meet Siuli. She’s a college senior in India creating a better future for young girls through access to safe water.
“Before, the wait for water used to begin in the dark at 4 a.m.”
Everyone at this primary school in West Bengal, India knows that a successful student is a healthy student.
Dharanidhar Kumar has always been known as “DK” to his friends. But now he has a new nickname – The Toilet Seller.
The village of Banashyam Nagar is in eastern India – nearly as far to the east in the country as you can go. It lies in the vast delta on the Bay of Bengal, formed by the confluence of several major rivers. Bright green fields are broken up by trees, homes, and ponds. Despite the networks of waterways, communities in this area struggle with reliable access to safe water.
Today, these five little ministers take great pride in their positions and in their school. But that wasn’t always the case. In fact, it wasn’t long ago that the school was struggling due to a lack of access to safe water and clean bathrooms.
Seema Devi was married as a teenager. At this young age, she moved to her new husband’s village, away from her family. One of the biggest differences in this new village in the Sheohar district of northern India was that she no longer had a toilet in her home.
Debasis Mondal’s bright orange vest signifies the important role he plays in communities in his region of India. He’s a Jalabandhu – a “Friend of Water.”