Toilet for Babli

India has emerged as the greatest user of smartphones. We are at number two when it comes to facebook usage. So this implies that we are one of the greatest users of the internet. A proud thing indeed, isn't it?

But when it comes to cleanliness we are certainly lacking. Particularly, defecating in the open. For a very long time government has been providing with subsidy for building toilet. The subsidy even reached the hands of the needy. But they used it for building another room or renovating their house. Toilet was on their last priority list.

Needless to say defecating in open, creates lot of health problems. The excreta is flown by rains and mixed into the drinking water resources. However, there is another aspect of the problem. It is the embarrassment faced by women. So in many villages women can not answer the calls of nature during day time. They will have to wait until the sun sets so that they can go out in the open and relieve themselves. When a woman steps out with a tumbler containing water in her hands everyone knows that she is going to defecate. Men who flaunt their motor cycles, show their manliness by causing the gleam of the lights of the motorcycle fall upon the exposed bottoms of helpless women. Smart phones are used to capture the event and eventually black mail the women. This is certainly not a proud achievement for any country. Moreover, the issue is so sensitive and causes embarrassment for majority of women folk. As a result thought such incidents are rampant, they are hardly reported to the police. It is indeed unfortunate that even many schools in our country do not have toilets for girls.

Recently one brave women sold her mangalsutra and built a toilet in her home from its proceeds. There was another woman who refused to cohabit with her husband until he built a toilet in his house. Such incidents get ample coverage in media. However such incidents are stray. Every woman can not be so courageous. If her husband and in-laws are stubborn, such acts of bravery may cost her matrimonial life.

I feel it is the fundamental right of every person, whether man or a woman, to have a toilet. It is a fundamental right to answer the calls of nature in an utmost decent and private manner.

However, it is heartening to see that the corporates have realised these problems and are doing their contributions to eradicated the problems faced by women in defecating in the public. Domex is a HUL’s flagship sanitation brand,. Interestingly it runs a programme called the Domex Toilet Academy (DTA) programme. Domex Toilet Academy was launched on 19th November 2013. It aims to become a sustainable and long-term solution to provide sanitation that benefits the local community and helps stimulate the local economy. The Toilet Academy makes toilets accessible and affordable, while promoting the benefits of clean toilets & good hygiene. Their effort has resulted in bringing the change in the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa and the Academy aims to build 24000 toilets by 2015 in rural areas faced with the problem of open defecation. I congratulate Domex for its laudable object.

What more? Domex Toilet Academy is offering you an opportunity to be a part of the intiative. How? Just when you click your mouse, Domex will contribute towards building the toilet.

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life. I have contributed by clicking on the tab. Have you?