For us, from them.

Link to profile of featured story : http://milaap.org/fund/manimegalai-and-group/1997?&referrer_id=9350

Latrines. Toilet.Basic sanitation. Or As we like to call it, in the civilized way “Washroom”. A basic amenity of life awarded to all in this modern world. Or so I had thought.  For it does not take a lot to make one. A small enclosure, some basic plumbing and voila, a basic latrine is ready. No longer will the women of your household have to defecate in the open at the price of public shame and insecurity. No longer will they be and other members of the house be exposed to diseases due to the unsanitary conditions.NO longer will anybody have to make long arduous treks into the wild.  Seems just the right thing to do? Right?

Yes it does. But what do you do when the money you earn is barely sufficient to feed you .What do you do when the choice is between necessities like food-clothing and a basic amenity like sanitation. In these conditions sanitation becomes a luxury. And it is this story that I have brought to you. Story of Manimegalai, Amirdham, Amudha, Chellam, and Alamelu. 5 women who have taken it upon themselves to bring water supply and sanitation closer to their home.

A brief introduction from the milaap webpage “Manimegalai, Amirdham, Amudha, Chellam, and Alamelu live in the rural area of Musiri in the Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu. They are agricultural laborers who work hard to supplement the incomes their husbands bring in, and to provide a decent future for their children. The area they live in has a water supply located about 1000 meters from their homes, and the closest public latrine is 500 meters away. As a result, clean and fresh water is scarce, and they have to depend on the surrounding shrubbery or the darkness at night for privacy to relieve themselves in unhygienic conditions. Consequently, they are subject to illnesses multiple times a year, and the monthly medical bills eat into their meager savings. They seek a loan of Rs.30,000, payable over 18 months, to build a toilet for Manimegalai’s family, and to install water connections for the rest of the group’s homes. This loan will allow their families access to the dignity and basic necessity of sanitation and water in their homes.”

I have taken up this project not only because I believe basic sanitation is a basic amenity everybody should be provided. But also because, I believe we could complete this project that isRaise enough fund for these women to have a toilet that would give them respect, security, and  health. A lot of things from simple toilet.
How can it happen? The reach of my blog is 1000 odd people. Over 200 of them women. If we can donate 500 each, We will complete this loan. We will help make a tangible difference in the lives of these women. I am making it personal, I am making it about what YOU can do. You, right there, reading this blog. It would be just a missed dinner outing to you, but would mean the world to these women. For women everywhere, from us for them.

To donate go on to this page : http://milaap.org/fund/manimegalai-and-group/1997?&referrer_id=9350

Donate.Share. Like MIlaap. Do the best you can and then a little more.

From us, for them.

Tears Of Pain

Its all in a silent tear....which makes its way down....clenching the heart gripped in pain and unbearable agony...when night comes...and everything is calm..with no one around....it comes out from it hiding place bringing with it the first sense of being alive...it hurts! It hurts damn bad...drowning in the bottomless pit of agony i let my tears purge me...to cleanse my soul of all the wrongs done to me...i swear a thousand promises and a thousand more...but i succumb time after time...despite knowing the fate...and when the tears put up an appearance i know i have failed yet again...hurt increases manifolds and agony rips me apart....silence of the night is punctuated by my muted uncontrollable sobs....a never ending charade it is...tears!tears!tears it is, that makes an outlet of escape....betrayal, misconceptions, desertion all find escape through tears...tears of pain....puffy eyes and soggy pillow sheets..yes these are tears of pain...pain that makes your heart burn with anguish,the numbness that spreads through your veins and the tears that washes all desolation away...

Night after night...i toss and turn....i bury my face into the softness of my pillow and in comfort of my bed....i let the darkness soothe my senses....i let the go of the bottled emotion within me....i allow the memories to resurface..and the pain,flow....then wave after wave....in torrents they come....coursing its way down my face....i clutch my sheets...and let it all go...i let the tears flow....images flash in my eye...words ring in my ears....heart wrenches a notch more...i cling to my sanity....i hold on to the hope...i cry silently...as the pain and hurt overpowers me.....in the darkness of the night my grief finds expression in the tears of pain!

In the light if the day...tears of pain masqueraded in smiles and good cheer...pain is forgotten even if momentarily in chores and errands....laughter drowns the cries within...but when the day runs its course....and the night sets in.....with people turning in...their crawl out from their hiding places...tears of pain...soon the sobs subside...and slumber looms ahead threateningly...tears dry leaving its soggy trails...as a new day dawns...pain lurks into the retreating shadows...as i let myself drift into that sweet haven of respite from this harsh harsh world !!