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From Reluctance to Resilience: Shakuntalaben’s Journey with Kitchen Gardening and Sanitation
1 week ago
From Reluctance to Resilience: Shakuntalaben’s Journey with Kitchen Gardening and Sanitation
In the small hamlet of Naldhari, where narrow paths wind past modest homes, lived Shakuntalaben with her husband and three children. Their house stood along the village drainage path, making it difficult to maintain cleanliness, especially during the monsoon when the area would flood. A daily wage labourer, Shakuntalaben struggled to provide nutritious meals for her family. With her husband working in a nearby company, their diet remained simple, repetitive, and low in fresh vegetables. When Utthan and the village WATSAN Committee introduced the concept of kitchen gardening, she was uncertain. The thought of growing vegetables near the drainage seemed impossible. Yet, after attending an orientation on low-cost home gardening, she began to see a possibility.
Encouraged by what she learned, Shakuntalaben decided to try. She reshaped her small backyard, building a raised sand bund to block drainage flow and fencing it to protect from animals. With support and a kitchen garden kit from Utthan containing seeds of seven vegetable varieties, she began planting. Within weeks, her effort started to show results. What was once a damp, unused space transformed into a vibrant green patch. Her garden now provides enough vegetables to feed her family and share with neighbours. “Our meals have changed,” she says with pride. “We eat better, feel stronger, and even our relatives enjoy the surplus.”
The change did not end there. Through Utthan’s water and sanitation initiative, Shakuntalaben also constructed a soak pit and a toilet near her home, significantly improving hygiene and daily comfort. Inspired by her example, her husband’s younger brother built a toilet too. “Now every member of our family uses a toilet. It gives us dignity, safety, and peace of mind,” she shares. From hesitation to hope, from a waterlogged yard to a thriving kitchen garden, her journey reflects how knowledge and persistence can reshape lives. Today, she not only maintains her garden but also motivates others in her community to adopt safe sanitation and home-grown nutrition. Her story is proof that real change often begins with small steps—one garden, one toilet, one woman’s determination.
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