Field visit–Moshumi

In early October, Water 1st staff traveled to West Bengal, India to visit the village of Moshumi, a village that will soon begin its water and sanitation project thanks to the support of donors of Water 1st. Moshumi is located on one of the islands situated at the mouth of the River Ganges, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. This area is called the Sunderbans.

In Moshummi, we met a woman named Kadulpurdan. Kadulpurdan is among the poorest of the world’s poor, subsisting well below India’s poverty line of $1 per day. Kadulpurdan’s family comes from generations of fishermen. They are subsistence fishermen – fishing to feed their family. However, Kadulpurdan told us that there are far fewer fish in the Ganges these days, and fishing is no longer providing her family with their basic needs. To supplement her family’s income, last year she started weaving fishing nets by hand. A net takes her about 45 days to make and when she sells it she makes 200 Rupees profit – about $5.

Watch the video of Water 1st in Moshumi, West Bengal, India.

Kadulpurdan’s story is the same for most people of the Sunderbans. Sri Aloke, the Honorary Director of our local Indian partner organization said, "The Sunderbans is the backward most region in the world. Since my childhood time I have see the suffering of the 3 million people of the Sunderban. They have no access to education. They have no access to healthcare. They have no access to income generation. Their economic condition is deteriorating."

The reason for our visit was to understand the water and sanitation needs of Kadulpurdan’s village. Moshumi has no water system, no latrines, and villagers walk about a mile one-way to get water. This water often makes them sick. Illness and death are routine in Moshumi, and Kadulpurdan told us that a child had died only 2 weeks before our visit.

Kadulpurdan proudly showed us the fishing nets she had woven and her home. She talked happily of her two children, a boy and a girl. She talked about her hopes for the future development of the community of Moshumi.

In January, 2006, Water 1st will support the work of our local India partner organization in Moshumi and 8 other villages. They will drill wells, install handpumps, construct household latrines, participate in health education classes and also receive training in administration, operation and maintenance of the handpumps.

The projects we are supporting in India are really unique. Even though the villagers here are poor, they are helping to pay a portion of the capital costs of their projects through monthly installments over several years. This financial investment on the part of our project participants tells us that they place a high value on improving their water supply and gives us a greater assurance that a project will be well-maintained. It also leaves them their dignity and makes them feel proud that they have not been given a hand-out.

This contribution is the policy of our local Indian partner organization. "And with 20 years experience we found that if we give water points free of cost to the people, the people have no interest in maintaining it properly," said Sri Aloke. "But, if we charge a certain percentage of the project, they can maintain it properly, because they realize it is their property. If it is not maintained, they will have to suffer. That’s why beneficiaries must contribute to the capital costs of projects, not only for water and sanitation but also for our other programs."

Water 1st is proud to be working in cooperation with our local Indian partner organization to support sustainable water and sanitation projects that will improve the health of families living in the Sunderbans.