India: The Power of Education - Pusphavanam Women

"We realize if we want something, we need to come forward."

"After the 2004 tsunami, the drinking water in the Nagapattinam district of India was affected. Our rice turned yellowish and spoiled quickly, sometimes by the end of the day. The water tasted of iron and rust. Our children got sick. Cholera outbreaks, measles, and small pox were common.

DHAN Foundation came and taught us about the filter. In that meeting, only the interested people put their name on the list. Only those people got it. Without knowing how it worked, we were the only people who came forward. Now the other villagers see how well it works and they want filters. We realize if we want something, we need to come forward.

Before the training, we didn't know that water from the ground had more germs. During the training, we learned about the germs in drinking water. After the training and the filter, we understood. We cannot see what is being filtered out, but sometimes we can see more rust and deposits collected at the top. So, we understand that those substances are not going into our stomachs. Every time we clean the filter, we are reminded.

We were not able to see the benefit of clean water before. But, because of the filter we can see. We realized how much contaminated water we'd already taken. There was some fear and shock. We paid 300 rupees ($7 CDN) each for our filters. It was 100 percent worth it. It's worth more than 300. One woman in our group went to the temple for puja last Friday. She consumed the water there. Now she is sick.

We only trust the filtered water. Our children take it to school. We carry it wherever we go."

As often happens, for the Pusphavanam women, education was the catalyst for change. So was the demonstration of tangible results - the improved health of their families with the use of water filters. Now, not only are they enjoying the benefits of clean water and better health, but they've become role models in their community, leading by example and breaking new ground.