V O L U M E

2 : S E P T E M B E R

2 0 1 4

the

Empowering Hyderabadi Communities

Basthi Star
At 14-years-old, Y.Prassad
was the only boy from Rasoolpura
selected to train and participate
in the 2014 National Champions
of Monsoon Regada for Sailing.
Only
twenty
children
were
selected from local communities
to participate in the competition
sponsored by the local Yacht
Club. His ambition and drive has
motivated him to continue to sail
competitively and to practice
every evening after school for
three to four hours.
Way to go Y. Prassad!

Share your story.

Contact your local BVM convener or
email us at info@saciwaters.org

Stay healthy this monsoon!

After a long and hot summer, we have all been anxiously
waiting for the monsoon rains! With the rains and flooding,
though, its important to take extra precaution to keep
yourself and your family healthy.
Humid conditions can easily lead to food contamination, the
spread of fungal disease, higher incidents of diarrhea and
indigestion, as well as colds and fevers.
Read on to learn how to prevent and treat illnesses right from
home. >>

Inside >>
Anjamma:

A day in the life

Your BVM Team:

A
Rasoolpura
mother fights to
strengthen
her
community

Read
a
personal
experience
and
learn
facts
on
women and girls
health & hygiene

Meet the leaders

of
your
local
Basthi
Vikas
Manch

Page 3 >>

Page 6 >>

Page 7 >>

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Prevent. Protect. Heal.

1.

1. STAY DRY:
Wear closed-toe shoes when raining and
dry your feet frequently to avoid skin and
nail fungal infections.
2. STAY HYDRATED:
The most important thing to do to stay
healthy is boil or filter your drinking water.
Drink plenty of water in small frequent
amounts to stay hydrated.

4. WATCH WHAT YOU EAT:

Soak fruits and veggies in salt water for 10
minutes to help remove insects and bacteria.
Cook vegetables thoroughly.

Consume foods with garlic, pepper, ginger,

turmeric and coriander.
Drink plenty of herbal teas with ginger,
pepper, honey, mint and basil leaves.
5. TREAT DIARRHEA:
Avoid dairy (milk, raita, lassi) and oily foods. Stay
hydrated with plenty of fluids.

3. STAY CLEAN:
Clean and thoroughly wash your chopping
board and utensils before cooking.
Wash your hands with soap before cooking,
after eating, and after visiting the toilet.

Call your local health clinic if symptoms including a

high fever, vomiting, bloody or black stool, or
abdominal pain persist or worsen after 24 hours.
6. TREAT COLD AND COUGH:
Rest, dress warmly, and drink soothing herbal teas
with lemon and honey until symptoms pass.

The Natural Dr.

Garlic is a natural immunity booster to help fight colds and coughs, - and
even the occasional stomachache. Try this simple homemade garlic tea
throughout the season.
2 cups of filtered water
2 to 3 cloves of fresh
garlic
Juice from lemon
spoon of raw honey

Peel 2 to 3 cloves of garlic.

Lightly crush them with the side
of a knife blade. Add them to
2 cups of water and bring to a
boil. Lower the heat and
simmer for another 15 minutes.
Strain garlic and allow tea to
cool. Add honey and lemon
juice. Drink as much as
desired.

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Anjamma:
a Rasoolpura resident fighting for her community
Anjamma, a Rasoolpura resident for twenty years,
has taken a stand demanding improvements to her
community of Anna Nagar. Although the
community has seen improvements in road and
sanitation infrastructure during this time, low water
supply continues to be a major concern. She has
seen the quality and frequency of the local water
supply worsen as demands have gone unmet.
With her drive, vision, and joyful spirit, Anjamma
has become a leader in her community. She
encourages the women of Anna Nagar to
organize and provides them with support. She
values collective action and has found the Basthi
Vikas Manch (BVM) valuable in gaining support
from neighboring communities facing similar
challenges.
SACI: What was your main reason for joining the
BVM?

3. Sustainable supply of water in the area: Water

delivered or access 2-3 times per week to the
community.
3. Municipal sanitary worker to
4. Improved transportation to ease the
commute to local colleges.
5. Primary healthcare center to service our and
neighboring communities.

A: The timing of water supply is one of our current

concerns, as water only comes once every 15 days.
We are all working women. If no one is home to
fetch water when the water comes, we have to
wait another 15 days. When I learned that the Basthi
Vikas Manch was working on these issues, I decided
to join them.

SACI: How are other women involved in the BVM?

SACI: Is it stressful when you cannot collect water for

one month?

A: We have a total of 500 Anna Nagar women active

in womens support groups. We discuss strategies and
our activities and needs. We feel more capacitated
after joining the BVM. We started by learning about
water quality testing. Though we feel empowered,
we need more organizational support and help
drafting plans. The issues we face are very vast and
we cannot handle them alone. We need more
support from other BVM branches and community
members.

A: Yes, its quite stressful for us. Even when we store

water, we have to use it very systematically and it
only lasts for a few days at a time. We have to find
other sources of water, which usually come from
distant taps, so we may miss work and lose
employment because of this. Neighbors may help if
they have water and we are left with no other
option.
SACI: How would you like to see the BVM grow?

SACI: How can someone get involved with the local

BVM?

A: Through the BVM, Anna Nagar and other basthis

are organizing for six specific demands:

A: We conduct community meetings between the

5th-10th of every month. Our objective is to
inspire other women to organize.

1. A government-recognized womens support

organization
2. An Angarwari center: a local maternal and
child-care center
3

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Basthi Accomplishments

Addagutta

Borewell installation
With the help of the BVM, the Addagutta community
began petitioning in October 2013 for the construction
of a new borewell. Prior, there was no public tap and
families were unable to get water near their homes.
Their demands have been heard and the new borewell
now provides 150 families with
water access.

Growth of womens leadership

Addagutta has had difficulty gaining support from men
head of households to improve community water and
sanitation conditions. In response, Addagutta women have
become self-reliant and learned to organize, protest, and
file public grievances to improve their basthi. Their growing
leadership in the past year has been exemplary.

Banjara Hills Basthi

Nala safety fencing
After the death of one child and the serious injury of twelve
others from falling into the local nala (open drain), Banjara
Basthi residents organized demanding the construction of
a wall and fencing as a safety measure. Reluctantly, the
local government sanctioned 8,5 Lahks towards the
project which began this June
and was recently completed.

New drinking water pipeline

The Banjara Hills Basthi received a new drinking water
pipeline in July. Water from the old pipeline was often
contaminated with runoff from the adjacent sewer. The
community began petitioning for this improvement in
January. Within 7 months, their petitions were heard and
the underground pipeline was replaced.
4

asthi

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Bholakpur
Coming Soon: a new community Toilet
With strong and optimistic leadership, the
BVM in Bholakpur is off to a strong start this
year. Petitions to replace a demolished local
community center began last October. The
center will be a great achievement providing
a means of sanitation for some as well as a
collective space to host events, conduct
community meetings, and organize childrens
programs. After much persistence, a work
order has finally been released and
construction is set to begin this September.

Rasoolpura
World Water Day celebration
On March 22nd, the American Counsel General
to
Hyderabad
visited
Rasoolpura
to
commemorate World Water Day. Local
children participated in a science competition
on infrastructure innovations. His inspirational
speech encouraged youth to take initiative
and collaborate with local organizations to
lead change in their communities.

Greening local school

In January, the Government High School in
Gunbazaar, Rasoolpura received 30 trees
that were planted in the schools entrance
grounds. The clean-up and greenery
converted the site from a local dumping
ground to a safe playing area for school
children. This achievement is motivatating
the Rasoolpura community to organize for
other necessary improvements.
5

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

A day in the

Health tips during

menstruation:

life

For many girls and women,

menstruation
can
be
an
uncomfortable and disruptive
time of the month. Clean
changing facilities are rare,
making good hygiene difficult to is my starting day. Otherwise, we
maintain.
wear the same pad the entire day if
Ayesha, a 16-year-old young
woman from Bholakpur, shares
with us her and her sisters
experience going to school and
living in a home with limited
sanitation resources.

we dont have another option. It can

be very uncomfortable.
SACI: Do you ever miss
because of your period?

A: I miss about one day

depending on my flow
discomforts I feel. If I have
SACI: When did you first hear about tell my class teacher who I
to and understands.
menstruation?

school

a month
and any
a test, Ill
am close

A: I first heard about it in the 7th SACI: What would make your periods
standard. I didnt know about it or easier while at school?
what it was before it happened. I was
A: Id like to have a clean restroom for
very confused and afraid.
changing in hygienic conditions that is
SACI: Im sure you were. Who taught entirely separate for girls. We currently
only have a partitioned bathroom.
you about proper hygiene?
A: My mother and grandmother
taught me what to do during periods.
We also learned about sanitation,
hand
washing,
health,
and
maintaining clean toilets at hygiene
classes offered on World Toilet Day
organized by the BVM.
They advised us to change our pads
every three hours to prevent getting
sick from infections.

SACI: How do you feel about yourself

and your body during your period?
A: I know its a natural process. Its
good if you menstruate. Girls
identities are based on their periods,
but when we want to participate in
certain activities, the lack of facilities,
of course, gets in the way and we
wish it never happened to us.

SACI: Those are good tips. What kind SACI: Have you ever thought of
of sanitation facilities do you have organizing with other girls to complain
about the quality of the bathrooms at
access to at school and at home?
school?
A: There are no girls-only toilets at
school, making it difficult to change A: Our principal doesnt listen to us.
during the day. They are often dirty We already complained about our
teachers
and
nothing
and do not have water. At home, we Urdu
have one toilet for four families. There happened.
are about ten people in each family.

We thank Ayesha and her sister

SACI: So if there arent facilities to for sharing their experiences with

change while at school, what do you us.
do?
A: We can change if theres water
available. But since there arent clean
toilets and there is rarely water at
school, my friends who are also
menstruating and I will take a break
for a couple of hours to come home
to change. We tell each other today

Too many girls experience regular

discomfort and risk their health
due to poor sanitation at their
schools. This can change.
Read on to see what you can do!

1. Wash genital area with water from

front to back to keep clean.
2. Change cloths or pads regularly
(every four hours) to prevent odors
and bacteria build-up.
3. Wash cloths with hot water and
soap. TIP: Allow to dry in sun and
well-ventilated area to prevent
order and illness.
4. Drink plenty of water to reduce
bloating and eat beans and lentils
to replace iron lost during
bleeding.

What you can do:

1. Organize! Meet with other girls at
school facing this same issue.
Support each other discussing your
experiences and needs.
2. Identify a teacher or community
member and a student leader who
can guide and provide support to
your group.
3. Make a list of your challenges and
needs. Do you need bathrooms at
school? Are they clean? Is soap
available?
4.

Altogether, meet with school

principal
(several
times,
if
necessary) to demand for the
facilities you need. Clean facilities
are YOUR RIGHT! Make it known!

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Meet your BVM

Team

Active in communities across Hyderabad, these are just a few faces of the Basthi
Vikas Manch movement. These conveners help organize meetings, advocate at city
councils, and provide support to their communities.

Addagutta
Janaki Devi
Janaki Devi has been a central figure to Addaguttas fight
for basic services for over 35 years. She has carried on the
legacy of other women who began working years before
her own involvement. She is responsible for organizing
local meetings and increasing womens participation in
the Basthi Vikas Manch.

S. Yadagiri

Banjara Hills Basthi

Conveners
G. Yadamma

A lawyer and active community organizer, S. Yadagiri has

been a leading figure, bringing a voice to the Addagutta
community for over 35 years. He is working to continue
Addaguttas legacy of exemplary community activism.

Formerly a housekeeper and family caretaker, G.

Yadamma has become a leader in her Banjara Hills
Basthi community. She was the first person to take
initiative raising concern about the lack of reservation
cards, sanitation and open nala conditions in her
neighborhood. In addition to her leadership, she has
led local womens self-help groups in Banjara Hills for
the past two years. (Leftmost picture).

M. Sabitha & B. Kavitha

M. Sabitha and B. Kavitha are also part of the core
team of community organizers in the Banjara Hills Basthi.
Together, they have been involved in raising awareness on their
communities. Although hesitant to lead at first, with the help of
community meetings and Basthi Vikas Manch trainings, they
have gained the confidence to become leaders in their
community. (Center and right photos).
7

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Bholakpur
M. Chand
Chand has been a community activist in Bholakpur for the past 20
years. Although he began his involvement through the political scene,
he has focused his energy on creating an active and politically neutral
BVM chapter in Bholakpur. The success of Bholakpurs BVM could not
have been achieved without the ongoing support of many other
community members.

Bee Appa
Bee Appa has taken the lead as the first female BVM member in
Bholakpur. A life-long Bholakpur resident, she works arduously to
increase womens involvement in the local BVM chapter. She leads
womens meetings to raise awareness on hygiene and sanitation issues
and working closely with three other active women of the local BVM.
She is excited to see womens participation grow as the BVM gains
local support.

Rasoolpura
Nayeem Pasha
Nayeem Pasha is a well-known figure in his Rasoolpura
community. His vision, drive, and leadership have led to the
completion of many infrastructural and public health
improvements in his basthi. He has been a community
activist since 2005, and has since become an inspiration to
community leaders across the city.

Call for your next meeting time

and location:
Addagutta

9391110397

Banjara Hills Basthi

9948892545

Bholakpur

9701550229

Rasoolpura

9347010276

Sardarbegum
Sardarbegum is a joyful woman who believes children are
the key to change. As such, she is actively involved in
empowering the youth of her community in Rasoolpura. She
is a much-welcomed figure at the local school, leading
informal empowerment sessions with children. Sardarbegum
was responsible for raising awareness regarding poor
sanitation and hygiene conditions at the school.

THE BASTHI VIKAS MANCH

VOLUME 2 : AUGUST 2014

Get Involved!

A special thanks to:

Does your community need better sanitation? Water?

Garbage pick-up? Schools? Hospitals and health
clinics? If you answered yes to any of these questions,
your community needs you. Only with your support
can the Basthi Vikas Manch make a change in your
neighborhood. Well see you at our next local
community meeting!

Keep clean, keep healthy!

wash. brush. comb. scrub.
Brush twice
a day to
keep teeth
strong.

Wash your
hands with soap
before eating
and using the
bathroom!

Scrub a
dub! Smelling
clean and
fresh!

Take care
of those
locks!