When I first came to this village, after marriage, I was appalled by the lack of water and basic sanitation facilities. I had to tread 2 km every day, just to fetch enough water for our daily needs. We didn’t even have a latrine in my house until 2018. Things got much worse post my husband’s death. I had to sustain by working in fields and running a small shop, with a meagre income. The only good thing in my life was Jyotsana, my niece who would visit me often. But even those visits dwindled due to the deplorable water situation in my village. When Water For People India took the initiative of providing piped water to households, it was nothing short of a blessing. I was present during the first testing of the system. Words fail me. I can’t explain the experience. Now, Jyotsana will visit me again. Little did I realise that water was such a pull factor. Paani nahi to kuch nahi (water is everything).
