First visit to Sangli

June 19, 2009 by Susan Taylor

Having arrived in Pune on June 11, I am reaching the close of my first week with Shelter Associates! On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to join Pratima Joshi, along with several other members of SA, to travel to Sangli, where many new projects are taking hold.

Below, a member of Baandhani demonstrates the use of smokeless chullahs in Gulab Colony, a slum in Sangli, as women and young children gather to look on. Because no smoke is generated, the health of the entire family can be greatly improved. The smokeless chullah reduces carbon monoxide by 50% while it also reduces the use of firewood by a significant 30%. Each chullah costs Rs 600, or approximately $12.

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The following picture was taken at an informal community meeting outside of a home in the slum Aba Dhotre. The two members of Shelter Associates seated in the chairs are Pramila (left) and Shankar (right). Pramila is an art teacher who is creating workshops and lessons for children and mothers living in the Sangli slum settlements. Shankar is a social worker with SA – here he is collecting census information from the women for documentation.
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The following photo is an image of Indira Nagar, the largest of the twenty-nine slums in Sangli. Approximately 900 families have migrated here from many different places. Sixty-four community toilets have been established here, half serving men and half serving women. The toilets have been maintained well by a cleaner. Fifty women from Indira Nagar are members of the Baandhani collective.

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