From fear and heartache to comfort and pride
For most moms, the health and safety of their children is always top of mind. Even before a mom’s own needs, giving her kids the essential resources needed to protect and save their lives is the priority. Not being able to give their kids resources like safe water and a private toilet can be scary and heartbreaking.
Masura has two children, a 5 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. Her mother and father in-law also live in her home.
"It was difficult and scary for my children"
Masura knows all too well the fears and pain of not having safe water or a toilet for her family. She explained the difficulties her family faced living without, “Our makeshift toilet was located far away from our house. It was difficult and scary for my children to go there…especially at night. And they would get sick from using it. They would vomit and have diarrhea. We had to collect water from the pond, and we used it to clean ourselves after using the toilet. This often caused my children more illness.”
Masura carried one to two buckets or large, earthen pots to various water sources to collect water. She walked in a group alongside other women from her village whom also lacked access to water at home.
Like millions of women around the world, Masura spent hours each day walking to collect the water her family needed for cooking, drinking, and cleaning. During those walks to ponds or community wells, Masura held hope for the day she could end her family’s water and sanitation crisis. She wanted to end the cycle of illness that perpetuated daily. Masura wanted to give her kids safe water to drink and a private, clean toilet at home.
Masura knew an improved, private toilet and a source of safe water close to her home could improve her family’s lives.
Masura’s husband was able to save the family some money because, as a mason, he was able to perform the labor of building the family’s toilet room.
"Now everyone feels very good about it. The toilet is near and no one has to go out at night."
Through our work in Bangladesh with local financial partners, TMSS, Masura's dreams have become a reality. With a small loan through TMSS, Masura gave her family lasting access to safe water and a private toilet.
When discussing the improvements safe water and a toilet have made in her family's lives Masura explained that her children are healthy now and that is all she ever wanted.
Of the life-transformations that come from having affordable, lasting access to these essential resources, comfort and pride have replaced Masura’s fears and heartache because now she can better protect her children and their health.
