To buy the blankets, Carol and I met Dhakshinamoorthy at Sathya’s Cafe, which he runs, on Perumbakken Road, not too far from Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai. Below, Carol, Dhakshinamoorthy, and his wife, Lakshmi, stand at the entrance to Sathya’s Cafe.

We got on our motor scooter and headed into town. First we had to stop at an ATM to get money.

Dhakshinamoorthy and Ramesh, who also helps with the Quantity of Life Trust, met us at the ATM.

We headed into town. The streets are still torn up from a sewer construction project, so the drive is a bit daunting in parts.

Some roads are OK, though, paved after the work was finished.

We parked in front of a small shop near the vegetable market.

As she entered, Carol sees all the sarees and other cloth items.

They look through the selection of blankets, selecting the number needed. Carol was wondering if they were soft enough. She was told that they were.

She also bought warm shawls for the two men. They need warm clothes, too.

The next day, we met again at Sathya’s cafe. Some of the elders were gathered here. 

Here, Sarada and Poongoli talk. Sarada is wearing dark glasses to protect her eyes. She recently had cataract surgery (paid for by Quality of Life Trust). She was nearly blind, and she can see fine now. What an important change!

Here is Nataraji. None of these seniors has a family, and in India, the family is the primary support system for old people. No family usually means that there are no means of support, no home, no one feeding them and looking after them.

Carol gives a blanket to Nataraji.

Carol gives a blanket to Sarada.

And to Poongoli.

Then we all hop on our motor bikes and scooters, and drive a couple of kilometres down the road to an open stone and cement structure.

Sitting in it is Thiruvenketam, who is blind and nearly deaf. If he had been able to get cataract surgery in time, he would still be able to see. He has no family. He was a slave to a farmer when he was younger, and so never had the chance to marry. Without marriage, he is alone in his senior years. Without the support of Quality of life Trust, he would have no support at all. Dakshinamoorthy drives his bike to him now three times each day to bring him food to eat.  

Dhakshinamoorthy and Carol approach him. Dhakshinamoorthy is careful to talk to him as he approaches. Thiruvenketam is incontinent now, so the area smells of urine and the floor is wet.

He is given the blanket. You can see around him how little he has; nothing beyond the clothes he wears.

He reaches out to Dhakshinamoorthy, trying to make some human contact. He gets so little of this now. 

He holds his precious blanket. Tonight he will be warm (unless someone steals it from him).

Living in India, you get ‘used to’ the poverty that surrounds you. Sometimes, though, the plight of the people gets through any defenses you might have and touches you. For me, this contact with Thiruvenketam was such a moment. Here Thiruvenketam is, no family, no one to care for him, homeless, blind, deaf, ageing. Without the care the Dhakshinamoorthy and Quality of Life provide, he would probably starve to death. 

We go to one more house, met by the wife of Arumugan, who is also helped by the Trust. She is happy to see us.

Carol gave Arumugan’s wife the blanket meant for him. We were told that he is no longer mentally capable. Carol was invited into the hut where he was being kept. He was lying on the floor, naked, in a fetal position. (Nudity is most unusual in India and avoided if at all possible). He did have the mental competence to sit up when asked. At least he has a wife, but how does she survive? 

Carol resisted taking the photo of him, since the intrusion was a huge insult to his dignity. But she felt that it was important to depict the reality of this situation. The room where he lay was actually quite dark, but the camera flash lit it up.

Dhakshinamoorthy is a poor man. Even with this, somehow he thinks that he needs to help those in his village. The work with abandoned elders is, I think, the most important work. In India, there are resources (though not enough, never enough) to help orphans and children, but there are few resources to help elders in need. 

Quality of Life Trust barely survives financially. They do not have ongoing donations that are enough to pay the bills each month to feed the old people, and give the the critical medical care needed.  When there is not enough, Dhakshinamoorthy somehow makes  it up out his own pocket. Also there are more people who need help, and who are on a waiting list. With no more money, they have to wait for one of the seniors to die before they can get help.

Quality of Life Trust needs more funding. This is needed for the ongoing work with elders. Also, if there were money available, the Trust wants to create a home where these people could  live together and be cared for. Now, you can see from the photos, the conditions in which they live. One-time donations help. What is most helpful, though, are ongoing donations; this is what really sustains the Abandoned  Elders Program. More about Quality of Life Trust can be found at their web site. The Trust is now approved for donations within India. Here is a donation page. If you are outside India and can help (or in India and want help donating or more information), contact me at richard@infinitepie.net and I can work with you to see that the donations get to the trust. 

This is vital work. Can you imagine living like you see in this post? If this touches your heart, please find a way to help. You help is needed today, and each month in the future.

Mission of Quality of Life Trust

To improve the quality of life in Indian villages near MGR Nagar, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India, while providing an opportunity for cultural interchange between East and West.

History of Quality of Life Trust

Quality of Life Trust was registered as an official Charitable and Educational Trust on December 8th, 2006, and it now performs ongoing work in different areas of social welfare.

Creation of Quality of Life Trust

During a pilgrimage to the holy hill Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, a Western traveler, Robert Broughton, decided to extend his visit and live for some months in MGR Nagar, Samuthiram Village. This decision was partly inspired by meeting V. Dhakshinamoorthy and his family (from Sathya’s Cafe) and feeling touched by their warmth and generosity. As a result of a developing friendship, Dhakshinamoorthy shared that the village lacked certain basic amenities that Westerners took for granted. Robert was surprised to learn that basic sanitation was unavailable for most village residents. Robert saw an opportunity to build toilets for families in need. This project idea soon gave birth to the non-profit organization Quality of Life Trust.

Another Western traveler and friend of Dhakshinamoorthy’s family, Marga Vaquer, was touched by the beautiful yet challenging simplicity of Indian life in the village, and was moved to lend her time and support to the organization. Western traveler David Rhodes came to Tiruvannamalai and saw the opportunity to help with research, production and fundraising for ongoing village sanitation projects. Dhakshinamoorthy’s good friend, S. Ramesh, also expressed an interest in helping, and provided valuable insights from a local perspective. Dhakshinamoorthy’s wife, D. Lakshmi, joined the team, offering a much needed female Indian perspective. Dhakshinamoorthy had been concerned for some time about poverty issues in the villages and was happy to offer his time and skill as the leader of the team.

2. Project History – Ecosan Toilets

In 2007, when members of QLT were discussing village sanitation with people from Sustainable Technology in the Community, an NGO operating in Trivandrum, Kerala, the Ecosan toilet was introduced to QLT as an improved way to achieve basic village sanitation while having a positive impact on the environment.

Based on this information, QLT got funding for and constructed three Ecosan Toilets. This was the initial pilot project. It was found during this pilot project that adding bathing facilities to the toilet buildings gave the villagers a much better solution that solved more problems that they have in their day-to-day life.

QLT then made contact with Wherever The Need, who agreed to fund the construction of an additional 50 Ecosan Toilets, and who would work through Bless, in Cuddalore, an Indian NGO with experience in ECOSAN Construction, to support QLT. The project started building Ecosan Toilets in February of 2008, and completed the construction one year later.

3. Benefits of Ecosan Toilets

One main environmental benefit of the Ecosan Toilet is to recover the nitrogen-rich human waste byproducts, so they can be used to help food plants grow in the village, rather then just going to waste.

Another major benefit of the Ecosan Toilet is with water. No water is needed, reducing water consumption. No water connection is needed, as with other toilets, so the Toilet is easier to construct. No septic tank is needed, so the cost of the toilet is much less. Also there is no risk of water contamination, as is always the risk with septic tanks.

There is a strong health benefit as well. Human excretions often are the cause of diseases and spreading of the diseases. The composting action of the Ecosan Toilet prevents the spread of disease, sterilizes this waste and kills all the pathogens.

4. How Ecosan Toilets benefit the people

Sanitation

People are now able to use a toilet at their house, rather than relieving themselves in nearby fields. This makes toilet use easier; the women feel safer with the privacy of the toilet instead of doing toilet functions where they can be seen by men; it is easier for the children to use; and in bad weather it is much safer to use the bathroom. In addition, problems like snakes in the fields where toileting is done are entirely avoided.

Health

Use of the toilets has helped the village people avoid jaundice, which was a common problem before the introduction of the Ecosan Toilets.

5. Cooperation needed from the village people

Cooperation of the village people is vital to this project. For the project to succeed, long-standing habits of toilet use need to be changed for the men, woman and children.

6. How to obtain cooperation from village people

Each group represents a different set of problems.

Women have been the easiest to get to use the new toilets. Right away, they see the benefits of ease of use and improved privacy.

The woman get the children trained to use the toilets, so this comes naturally.

The men are more of a problem. They do not see as much need to change.

To encourage cooperation a number of things have been done. An educational program was conducted on the benefits of the Ecosan Toilets. This has been done both in group meetings and one on one. Also trips were made to villages that already were using Ecosan Toilets, so that the villagers could talk to other villagers who had gone through this change, and see for themselves that this was worthwhile.

We do not have a good solution for the men. Some have been able to see that it is safer. Some men can be convinced by their wives. Some can understand that late at night, the Ecosan Toilet is easier to use. Then, once they get started using it, then may continue.

7. Village meetings

Meetings have been an important component of this project. In these meetings, village people have been educated about the benefits of Ecosan Toilets, have had their questions answered, and have gotten to see that others in the village are interested in the Ecosan Toilet. This makes it easier for them to consider its use. Assistance is provided to QLT by Bless.

The benefits with composting water use and health were stressed again and again.

This education and meetings were especially needed since there are no other Ecosan Toilets in use near Tiruvannamalai.

8. Ecosan History

In India, Ecosan Toilets were first used in Kerala. Then Bless introduced them into Cuddalore and Scope introduced them into Trichy. In Auroville they were introduced with the help of Waterharvest.

QLT first learned about Ecosan from people in Kerala, then got books published by EcoSolutions and ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development) in Puducherry. We then talked to the people at Bless, and got further information. After this, the pilot project was funded by QLT supporters and executed.

In the pilot build, the first unit was constructed per the basic plan, which did not include a washroom. The feedback we got from the villagers at that time was that adding a washroom would make these Toilets much more useful to the members of the family. Their problems dealing with personal cleanliness and sanitation extended beyond just toilet use, and included the need for daily bathing facilities.

QLT modified the design of the EcoSan by adding a bathing room, and, working with Wherever The Need and Bless, implemented the first major Ecosan Toilet construction effort in the Tiruvannamalai area, in MGR Village, adjacent to Tiruvannamalai.

QLT has developed a new innovation during this project. This innovation eliminates the ceramic toilet pan, and uses instead a form cast into the cement floor of the toilet to accomplish the same function.

9. Support provided to QLT from Bless and Wherever The Need.

The project would not have been possible without Wherever The Need, who provided funding (through Bless). Mr Paramasivam (of Wherever The Need/India) was particularly helpful providing management support and guidance to the project, and to help us provide good quality reports that would be useful to the donors.

Bless has provided much important help for this project. They were key in training QLT in the construction of the Ecosan Toilet. They also provided much education assistance. In addition, Bless set up the trips for our villagers to other locations where Ecosan Toilets were in use. Bless also taught QLT how to operate an accounting system that provides the needed visibility required by donors and by the Indian government. Whenever we had problems, we could always turn to Bless for help and answers.

Particular acknowledgement needs to be made to several people within the Bless organization. First, Mr Anthony Samy has always given us encouragement and guidance, and has made sure that the people within his organization gave Quality of Life Trust the support we needed. Mr Arumugam provided Quality of Life Trust with construction drawings and technical assistance, which greatly contributed to the success of the project. Mr Appu has provided unstinting support and training for our accounting system, and helped us produce the kind of financial reports that are needed by Bless and Wherever The Need.

The project would not have been possible were it not for the support that has been given.

10. Ecosan Toilet Features

Toilet

The first set of features has to do with collection of solid waste and the separation of fluid waste, so that the fluid waste can be used for garden and plant growth. A special ceramic toilet pan was designed so that in use, the solid matter and fluids can be separated.

The solids are collected in a sealed compartment, and the fluid waste is diverted so that it can be used immediately to enhance garden watering. Ash (or other drying material, such as sand or sawdust) is added to the solid waste to eliminate smell. This ash also improves the composition of the compost that is created by this process.

The Toilet is built with two solid waste collection compartments. One is used until it is full. Then it is sealed and the other compartment is used. The sealed compartment will naturally compost over the next six months. During this process it is heated past 160° C, so that all bacteria are destroyed and the resulting compost is safe for use.

The fluids are best used to water food plants for the family. In our project, often Banana plants, chilies or tomatoes are watered by the fluid waste from the Ecosan Toilet. Mango trees and coconut palms are also watered by the fluids collected from the Ecosan Toilet.

Washroom

The washroom is built as a separate room in the structure with its own door. In the pilot we built washroom as a compartment within the toilet, with only one door for both. People told us that this was not good, since they needed for different family members to use washroom and toilet at the same time.

Water is carried into the washroom by the people using it. Some families have actually piped water into the washroom, for easier use. The wastewater from the washroom is added to the wastewater from the toilet and both are used to provide water for plants. In this way, not even the bath water is wasted.

11. How village people use Ecosan Toilets

Most members of the families where Ecosan Toilets have been built now use it. They use it for toilet functions and bathing functions. Some people use the washroom to help with their washing of clothes. This is especially true if they have piped water into the washroom.

12. Ecosan usage problems

The two problems most reported are smell and cockroach infestations. Smell coming from the toilet means that more ash (or other drying material) needs to be added. To solve cockroach problems, neem leaves need to be added into the toilet compartment. This needs to be done until the infestation is resolved.

13. Comments from Village people about Ecosan Toilets

T R Sadasivam Family

“We use the Ecosan Toilet in a very nice way. The bathroom is excellent for my family. Before my wife and children needed to take a bath, this was very hard for them. We used a coconut leaf. It is not safe for health and each year we spent almost Rs 1500. Now we have a permanent bathroom. We installed a light in the bathroom, so it is easier to use at night.”

They did not go to toilet around their home. They would go to college compound, more than 350 meters from the house. Often they would have trouble getting to the compound. The Ecosan toilet is more useful. “The first container is almost full; we will complete it within a few weeks, and then start to use the other tank. My children, my wife and myself are very happy using it. It gives such a good change to our lives.”

A Muniyappan and wife, Pachaiyammal

“Before the Ecosan toilet we used to go to the toilet outside, such as on a path or open field. The Ecosan toilet has saved my wife, children and myself loads of difficulties, especially my wife. She felt very bad when she sat in the field and the men looked at her.”

Pachaiyammal says “the Ecosan toilet is more useful to my family. I want to thank the organization people who helped make this possible. This gives me more freedom. It makes me happy, because sometimes in the middle of the night I would have to go to the toilet. Going outside was more difficult and sometimes I was afraid. Now the Ecosan toilet is very safe, no fear. We put a light in the toilet room and a mirror in the bathroom.”

S Rani

“The Ecosan toilet is very useful for my family. One more thing that is provided is a bathroom. Before it was hard. I had to take a path and go to the toilet in public. Now I have a private toilet, without any of the bad feelings I had when I had to use the path.

My son is 14 years old. Before he went to the toilet in the open field. He complained to me, saying he saw a snake; his feet are damaged by a thorn, and problems like that. Sometimes I would want to go with him to make sure he was safe. So now we are very happy. My relatives, when they come to my village, use the Ecosan toilet. They used it, and it was easy and nice for us. Thank you very much for the Ecosan toilet.”

14. Borewells and water projects

In addition to Ecosan Toilets, Wherever the Need, working through Bless, funded improvements in the village water systems. This included repair and renovation of borewells and their hand pumps, and improvements of water outlets for the water that is pumped into the village.

As a result of this work, the village has more access to water, and due to the repaired hand pumps, has a reliable water source, even during extended power outages.

Ecosan Toilet Construction Photos

First the possible building site is reviewed and evaluated.

Work then starts on a foundation. Digging is the first step.

A stone and cement foundation is put in. It must be strong enough to bear the weight of the brick and concrete building to follow.

All materials are delivered to the building site on a bullock cart. Here stones are being delivered.

Red bricks from a local brick kiln are being delivered.

The bottom layer with the two composting compartments is being built. The mason is the key skilled craftsman for a project like this. The walls  must be straight and true, otherwise the building will collapse under its own weight.

Steel reinforcing rods are being laid out for the floor. Note in the center is a space for the toilet pan.

The concrete for the floor is being put down. Red bricks are used as a space for the ceramic toilet pan to be  installed  later.

The floor is heavily braced up until the concrete  dries.

The walls are almost complete. Cement brick is used for this part of the construction. This is lower in cost than a red brick alternative.

Basic construction is done. Note the two chambers below, which are not yet sealed.

Painting is done.

As a last step, a ribbon cutting ceremony is done to open each toilet. For best village relations it was decided to ‘open’ each toilet with a small celebration involving the family. This is a happy moment for the family, and the beginning of a change in their day-to-day lives.

Towards the end of the project, the QLT team came up with a design that does not need a separate ceramic pan. Rather this is cast into the concrete. This saves cost.

A happy woman stands by her new Ecosan Toilet.

Near one of the first Toilets built, now a  banana crop ripens. The fluid ‘waste’ from the toilet and shower water and fertilize these bananas. The resulting crop is a good  one, a massive group of fruit, almost ripe now.

Summary

This project built toilets for 50 families that have never had them.  Now about 200 people in this village no longer conduct their toilet functions outside, but rather use the new toilets. This is a big improvement in the health of the village, and it provides the women a kind of dignity that they have never had. This alone is an important step in the society of these rural Indian villagers.

The rain is particularly needed this year. There are two monsoons that bring the bulk of the rain to the area. The Northeast Monsoon in October and November, and the Southwest Monsoon in the summer. The Northeast Monsoon failed to come last fall, and so far the Southwest Monsoon has failed to arrive as well.

Tamil Nadu has vast agricultural areas, much of which are rice fields farmed as small plots by village farming families. The rice fields can grow three crops each year, but they use lots of water. The English, when they came to India, said that these South Indian fields were the most productive in the world. They depend each year on the monsoons. Now we may have had two monsoon failures in a row.

We were invited to the ceremony by Dakshinamoothi, a man in the village whom we assist with his local organization, Quality of Life Trust. He told us to arrive at 1 PM, thinking that this celebration, like all such events, would start late. He then called us about 12:30 and said that we should be there. When we arrived a few minutes later, we found that it had already started.

It was being help at the village temple, a small building by the road that we have gone past many times. When we arrived, people were already gathered at the temple, the puja was over, and the next part of the rites had started.

The villagers were gathered under the awning put up for the day.

There were three cones, decorated with flowers, several priests, and an open space in the middle of the crowd.

Much work was done decorating these cones.

In the circle there were drummers, beating out a rhythm, and someone dancing in the circle, an elderly lady. It is not usual at village functions to see women dancing, it is usually just the men. The ‘dancing’ seemed particularly energetic and expressive, and not any formal dance at all.

After she left the circle, a young man, seen above in an orange shirt, stepped into the circle. Before he started moving, he spent some time, in what seemed like working himself up into some state. I wondered if perhaps he was drunk.

Then he started to move wildly.

I think his eyes were closed, and there is an expression on his face, almost, I thought, of pain.

There was another man in the circle as well, in a white dhoti.

The man in the orange shirt dropped to the ground, and was writhing around. I could not get a good picture of him. The view was blocked by a drummer.

After this was over, he was exhausted, and had to be helped walk to where he could sit down.

I found out later that these people were, in this ‘dancing’, surrendering themselves to God, and probably asking for something from God.

After this, the crowd broke up, and the next part of the rites got underway. We went to the Satya’s Cafe in the village to wait.

First came the drummers, who seem to lead all these village processions.

Then after the drummers, came the cones, each carried by a man. We had seen similar cones walking through the village where we lived, and we wondered what they were about.

They stopped across the street, and the occupants of the house came out with puja items to offer, and received blessings from the priest who walked with the group.

Then they walked to Satya’s Cafe, where we were waiting. There were some boys walking with the group, too, naturally.

At Satya’s, the owner, our host, Dhakshinamoorthy, had three malas ready and waiting to offer. He gave them to three western women who sometimes help our his trust, Vishni, Shivani, and my wife Carol, who in turn placed them onto the cones, after puja items were offered.

First the puja offering.

Then the malas were placed.

then off to the next house.

One man stopped for a photo.

Here are shots of the temple, the next day.

All the ritual items were still there, waiting to be cleaned up, which was to happen soon. Boys played among the cones.

Temple gods watched the unfolding of the whole event, remaining silent and full of peace.

Samuthiram Village has many of the problems from this growing region without receiving much of the benefit from the growing region. These problems include increased crowding, increased disease, urban pollution and greatly increased land and living costs. Like most villages in India, there is much poverty with all its related problems. The additional problems from nearby growth just makes the village issues more severe.

This village is one that gets many westerners as temporary residents during the winter season, when people from around the world are coming to visit Ramanasramam. Contact with westerners has helped village leadership see that more is possible for the village. With the help of some of these western visitors, Quality of Life Trust was organized in 2006 as a means of accomplishing this work. Quality of Life Trust has since put in place a small village elder support project, funded by donations, which provides food and housing to abandoned elders, and an Eco San Toilet (a composting toilet) construction program, funded by BLESS, an NGO in Cuddalore.

I have written a bit about the Trust, see http://luthar.com/2008/02/22/quality-of-life-trust-india/. My wife Carol posted about a ceremony that Quality of Life held. This can be seen at http://infinitepie.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/our-vip-night-at-the-quality-of-life-trust/.

The photos below are from a village meeting, where they gathered around my laptop for a show. It was set up on a table outside. Power was strung from a nearby house so we could power the external speakers.

To start, we played a slide show of photos taken at the recent village celebration. First the children, then their mothers and other adults gathered around the computer to see photos of themselves and their family and friends. Then we played a Tamil movie. Finally, we played a video of the celebration (mainly of a meeting with different people talking).

Before we came to live in India one thing we did to give us a tiny bit of flavor of India is to watch Indian movies. These photos remind me of one movie we saw where villagers gathered around a sheet, strung up as a movie screen, to watch a movie. One big difference, though, is that while viewing my laptop, no one broke out in song and dance, as they did in the movie.

Carol had the camera, and the village children love to have their photos taken.

Some of the girls climbed on a nearby truck to get a better view. The girls were not at all shy about climbing around on the truck, even while parents were trying to get them to stop.

Here is Carol sitting in a chair, surrounded by children. (They made sure that they brought chairs for us to use.)

Here the children are seated in front, with mainly village women standing behind.

The children naturally, once the movie was over, got bored and entertained themselves. There is construction going on nearby. (This is the case over much of this area, where many people are busy adding rooms that they will be able to rent to westerners during the next winter ‘season.’) So the children started carrying bricks over to where we were and finding different ways to play with them.

The first game seemed to be ‘chairs.’ You can see to the right of the photo below girls sitting on chairs made from piling bricks, with different kids making different designs. Most of the time they got bricks by bringing them from the construction site. Sometimes, while their neighbor was not looking or busy doing something else, they would quickly grab bricks from an adjoining ‘chair.’

After a while, one girl changed the game from ‘chairs’ to ‘houses.’ After this, they all started to build houses.

The performance was over. We all went home and went to bed. Now I hear that the villagers want to do it again. Only this time, just a movie, not a boring video of a bunch of adults talking. I sure wish these Tamil movies had English subtitles.

This posting shows photos of project work in July, 2008.

Eco-San Toilet Construction

Water Pump Repair

Water flow in this pump is intermittent.

This pump now works well.

Eco-San toilets have changed the look of the village

Here the household has extended and painted the brick fence to connect the Eco-San Toilet to the home. Notice also another Eco-San Toilet in the background.