Bhanuben Solanki lives with her husband and daughter in Bhagwatinagar, an informal settlement in Ahmedabad, India. She had a very challenging childhood, and was forced to marry at 13, but excelled in school. She earns a living as an ASHA (health) worker, teaching English, and doing sewing work. She is also an influential Vikasini (Community Leader) who has worked for numerous years supporting women in the community with government paperwork, and petitioning for services and neighborhood improvements from local government (with support from Mahila Housing Trust). She led a an awareness campaign to educate people about importance of voting, what to look for in the candidate when voting to empower community members to participate in the elections.
Bhanuben describes her daily life (housework, multiple jobs, community leader) and her drive to persevere despite challenges of life in an informal settlement.
Bhanuben Solanki lives with her husband and daughter in Bhagwatinagar, an informal settlement in Ahmedabad, India. She had a very challenging childhood, and was forced to marry at 13, but excelled in school. She earns a living as an ASHA (health) worker, teaching English, and doing sewing work. She is also an influential Vikasini (Community Leader) who has worked for numerous years supporting women in the community with government paperwork, and petitioning for services and neighborhood improvements from local government (with support from Mahila Housing Trust). She led a an awareness campaign to educate people about importance of voting, what to look for in the candidate when voting to empower community members to participate in the elections.
Bhanuben Solanki lives with her husband and daughter in Bhagwatinagar, an informal settlement in Ahmedabad, India. She had a very challenging childhood, and was forced to marry at 13, but excelled in school. She earns a living as an ASHA (health) worker, teaching English, and doing sewing work. She is also an influential Vikasini (Community Leader) who has worked for numerous years supporting women in the community with government paperwork, and petitioning for services and neighborhood improvements from local government (with support from Mahila Housing Trust). She led a an awareness campaign to educate people about importance of voting, what to look for in the candidate when voting to empower community members to participate in the elections.
Sonal Brahmbhatt is a community organizer who brings local women together to form community action groups around common concerns. Women tell the history of their community, vote on which issues they feel are most pressing, select leaders for initiatives, learn processes for implementing basic services and how to work with local government.
Sonal Brahmbhatt is a community organizer with Mahila Housing Trust, who brings local women together to form community action groups around common concerns.
Hasit Ganatra is a social entrepreneur who invented a lightweight, low-cost, modular roof that protects residents from the effects of extreme heat and rain and can be moved if necessary.
Teena B. Dhabale is a community architect in Ahmedabad, who works with Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) to assist women from the community to design and build homes that can function as muti-functional spaces that to support both work and domestic life.
Teena B. Dhabale is a community architect in Ahmedabad, who works with Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) to assist women from the community to design and build homes that can function as muti-functional spaces that to support both work and domestic life.