Jyoti Gadwe: A Champion of Women Empowerment, Transforming Lives Through Safe Water Access

In the vast, arid landscapes of Waruda, Osmanabad, Maharashtra, where water is both scarce and precious, a remarkable woman named Jyoti Gadwe has emerged as a beacon of hope and change. Jyoti understands that access to safe water is not just a basic necessity but a fundamental right that can significantly impact the health and well-being of families. Moreover, she recognizes the vital role women play in managing and collecting water, which inspired her to spearhead a movement for greater female participation in the pursuit of safe water.

Attention: Picture a land where the thirst for clean water is unquenchable, and the responsibility of fetching water falls predominantly on the shoulders of women. In this challenging setting, Jyoti's determination and vision shine through like a guiding star, breaking barriers and redefining societal norms.

Interest: When Jyoti joined the water access project in January 2023, her primary focus was clear: to bring more women into the fold and empower them to take charge of their lives. Through unwavering efforts, she succeeded in enrolling an impressive 475 additional beneficiaries from Waruda into the program. Not stopping there, she established connections with other women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and community organizations, forging a powerful network of like-minded individuals committed to the cause.

Desire: Jyoti's impact on female participation was truly transformative. As evidence of her dedication, three more women joined the village water committee, tipping the scales of decision-making power in their favor. With a majority of female members in the committee, women now wield greater influence over crucial choices concerning water management, marking a significant step towards true empowerment.

Action: Meet Jyoti, a 37-year-old woman with an unyielding spirit, who, despite facing physical challenges along with her husband, seized the opportunity to change lives in her community. Jyoti's husband may run a small paan-shop, but she runs a movement that has seen the village's daily water offtake increase from 694 liters to an impressive 1900+ liters. Her dedication, resilience, and commitment to the cause of safe water access have not only transformed her village but also the lives of countless women who now stand taller and prouder, their voices echoing through the corridors of change.

In the barren lands of Waruda, Jyoti Gadwe's story unfolds as a tale of triumph, where the ripple effect of women empowerment reaches far beyond the confines of the village, reminding us all that when women are empowered, communities flourish, and humanity prospers.

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Making water Convenient

Bimalpura is a large village in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, having a population of 2,018 and 297 houses in total. The majority of their livelihood comes from farming and labour work. The main challenges that the village face is the unavailability of safe drinking water. The facility of borewell water has 1460 TDS. (Source: Baseline Report)

Aligning with the issue faced by the community, baseline research was conducted by the Impact Assessment team of Sarvajal. It shows that all the surveyed households were highly dissatisfied with the quality of drinking water and 94% face difficulty in access and availability.

 Thusly to resolve the challenge of the community, Standard chartered’s CSR initiative synergised with Piramal Sarvajal, a social enterprise working specifically towards safe, accessible and affordable drinking water by leveraging technology. The Bank adopted Sarmaliya and through its implementing partner Sarvajal, installed a water purification unit on 25 May 2018

Till now, Standard Chartered has adopted 22 villages by setting up community-level purification plants with Water ATM.

After the Installation, Piramal Sarvajal’s team engages with the community every month to spread awareness about health and water linkages. They appreciate the price at which it is made available to everyone and have eased from the previous challenge of the lack of accessibility. Out of 297, 167 households moved to safe drinking water practices because of overall improvement in their quality of life.

Door Delivery helps women to take charge in decision-making for water 

It’s been three months since I’ve started taking water from Sarvajal Home delivery service. The taste is good and I could feel relief in my stomach.”- Mohini Ji

“The services of Sarvajal are good. I am amazed with the price of water which is available at only 10 Rs per camper.” - Seeta Devi Ji

“In my village, borewell water has fluoride contamination and feels salty in taste. It is been 8 months since I am taking Sarvajal water which is high in quality.”- Chigna Devi

Pride of providing first access to safe water

“I am glad that I got the opportunity to provide quality water at the doorstep of my villagers. It gives me a feeling of pride that people are happy and satisfied with the services of Sarvajal” -Shravan Kumar Yadav, Operator

(Sarvajal Enterprise Management System) SEMS showing the daily pattern of data ranging between 700-1200 of litre dispense during summer season

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Breaking the traditional barriers!!

Sarmaliya an interior village in Ajmer, Rajasthan has a population of 1354 and 289 households. The village comprises of mixed community and cultures sharing inclusivity as well as a sense of belongingness. The majority of their livelihood comes from Labour jobs. The village faces water scarcity due to the unavailability of drinking water sources as their only sources are Municipality tankers (which comes once a week) and a borewell that has 2680 TDS. (Source: Baseline Report)

Source: Baseline Report of Sarvajal 

Baseline study done by the Impact Assessment team of Sarvajal highlighted all the surveyed households of Sarmaliya were highly dissatisfied with the quality of drinking water and 94% face difficulty in access and availability. 

Source: Baseline Report of Sarvajal 

IndusInd Bank under its CSR initiative, Hinduja Foundation’s Jal Jeevan project which is a flagship program, adopted this village with Piramal Sarvajal (a social enterprise working specifically towards safe, accessible and affordable drinking water by leveraging technology) as an implementing partner. A 1000lph water purification unit was installed at the centre of the village on 14 February 2019. In all, IndusInd Bank has adopted 35 villages in 5 districts of UP and Rajasthan by setting up community-level purification plants with Water ATM.

After the Installation, Piramal Sarvajal’s team engages with the community every month to spread awareness about health and water linkages. Consumers appreciate the price at which it is made available to everyone and have ease from previous challenges. They shared “Sarvajal water is affordable and the easy access makes us feel comfortable to fetch anytime” 

Affordability and Accessibility gives women freedom to choose Sarvajal

 ”Ab Sarvajal paani ka hi taste accha lagta hai, mai toh permanent yahi leti hu. Naye daur mai nayi cheezo ke sath hi chalna samjhdaari ka kaam hai”

- Kanchan Devi, Sarmaliya, Raj

 ”Waise toh paani hume tanker aur borwell se bhi milta hai par Sarvajal ka paani gunavatta wala hai aur hum accha mehsoos hota hai”

 - Ratan Ji and Renu Ji,  Sarmaliya, Raj

“Sarvajal ka paani kam daam mai milta hai, mai ya meri choti behen kabhi bhi jaake paani le aate hai”

 - Sunita Chaudhary, Sarmaliya, Raj

Connecting with Youth

Being an operator Surendra Ji is also working as a youth president in panchayat, he shares that “I am able to reach out to the community and motivate them to take healthy steps towards their lifestyle”

- Surendra Kadiwal, Operator, Sarmaliya, Raj 

Out of 289, 88 households are consistently having safe drinking water practices within a year because of overall improvement in health and quality of life.

(Sarvajal Enterprise Management System) SEMS showing the data ranging between 700-1200 of litres dispense on a daily basis during summer season) Average production per day shows 700 litres 

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Sustainable Water Solutions to empower communities

Kalaliya is a large village located in Jaora Tehsil of Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh with total 843 families residing in it. The main source of drinking water in this village is tube well, supplied to them via piped connection to their house. 97% (32/33) of households depend upon it even though the TDS is 900. 

The intervention of Safe Drinking water is required because- 

Quality of water: During an internal survey, 94% (31/33) of respondents rated their drinking water quality as poor.

Willingness to Purchase: 91%(30/33) of households have shown a willingness to purchase drinking water from Sarvajal plant and are willing to spend between INR 150 – INR 300 on it per month. Also, 73% (24/33) of households are willing to opt for home delivery at an additional cost.

Medical Expenses: 40% of households earn between INR 5001 -15,000 per month, on an average spend 3.1% i.e. INR 400 of their monthly income on medical expenses.

In such challenging situation, Standard Chartered Bank adopted this village by setting up community-level purification plant with Water ATM. Water is dispensed from the ATMs by swiping the RFID card provided to the consumers. These ATMs are remotely monitored and cloud-connected to the central management system by Sarvajal to ensure last-mile delivery, price transparency, pay per use and quality assurance. With the increased demand the plant has Hub and Spoke model and provides water to 4 nearby villages through Water ATMs. 

At the start of the intervention, a Village Water Committee (11 members) was formed that focused on the community as a collective. It built a sense of ownership and commitment for the project. Poonam Ji is the operator of the purification plant and is working consistently towards the cause. The village has accepted woman as operator and committee members to take up such opportunities and lead in her own community thereby broadening the perceptions of the community.

Operator Pooman Ji narrates "Life has started with a new beginning and I am excited to learn a lot. I finish all the household chores in the day so that I can meet more customers in the morning and evening. Serving water is a noble cause and for this, I got the support and confidence from home that every woman should get. I keep learning from the members of VWC on how I can manage the plant and customers effectively”

The NGO partner Enable Health Society‘s team engages with the community every month to encourage them to adopt better health solutions to consider long-term benefits. Spread awareness about health and water linkages along with different types of contamination that affect health.

After a certain period of time, our consumers have acknowledged the importance of water quality as it is beneficial to them. ­­­­­­­­

Voice of consumer 

Consumer Ranjit Patidaar says "Sarvajal water is precious to me as it takes care of my family's health. I take 20 litres water daily"

Ram Babu says “Meri poti ko saaf paani paani hi pilaana hai, hume bachpan mein nahi mila par humare baccho aur poore parivaar ke liye sarvajal ka saaf paani hi lete hai”

Suresh Chand Patidaar says, “Ab Sarvajal ke paani ka hi taste accha lagta hai, card dwara paani milta hai lene mai bhi aasan hai. Kabhi kabhi mere bacche bhi jaake le aate hai”

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Breaking Stereotypes

I recently visited Dhikwar village in Rajasthan adopted by Standard Chartered Bank in collaboration with the technical partner Piramal Sarvajal to provide easy access to safe and affordable drinking water. 

(The total population of the village is 2743 and 275 households. ~source: baseline impact study of Sarvajal. The existing source water is provided through the stand posts, situated in 9 different corners of the village. The source has TDS- 1,135 ppm to 2,845 ppm. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that 94% (31/33) of respondents rated their drinking water quality as poor.)

On my first meeting with newly appointed operator Pooja Ji, I sensed her insecurities which is though common in rural India. Her head and entire face were covered with a veil and her voice was low. I felt skeptical that time whether she would be able to manage the tasks of being an operator or not. 

I spent 2 days with her while we were doing pre-launch awareness and behaviour based activities. During the interactions with the community, I was amazed to see that she came out to be a quick learner. After sometime her strong willpower was observed to speak to the villagers and accompany me in the conversations. 

It says, “you can’t be what you can’t see”. Everything was so new to her she shared and affirmed “Aap aache se samjha denge toh mai kar lungi” 

At launch, I saw an altogether new person who was learning about the machine and its process. After sometime, I asked her "could you now demonstrate to me what all you have learnt from our field engineer. She instantly started the machine and at that moment I could see her head was high with pride and dignity without her ghunghat on her face. 

Villagers also appreciated her and congratulated her for getting the opportunity to showcase her talent. 

One of the government senior school teachers said to me that “you have chosen a deserving person as she has faced financial uncertainties in her life, the livelihood will help her to manage her kids and socio-economic condition shall improve. Pooja already has experience with Machines and she understands things quickly so operating the machine won’t be an issue. Sarvajal will indeed play an uplifting role in her life ”

People's belief on her made me feel nostalgic and I felt that every woman should get such opportunities and leadership to take in her community thereby challenging the stereotypes. 

On being asked about her experience after a few days of launch, she spoke to me confidently and said "Vaishali hum abhi kaafi logo se baat chit kar rahe hai.. log ek doosre ko dekhkar prerit ho rahe hai aur paani ka card humse banwa rahe hai”

It was a moment of contentment to see that the community has accepted a female taking role of leadership and management and was empowered to live a dignified life. At the same time, I felt satisfying to witness financial upliftment in pooja Ji's life. Not only this, it was delightful as she would now constantly expand her horizon on daily basis.

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