Photos

We set off early in the morning on Zahir's 250cc motorbike our goal Savitaben's village to work with her for the day and to interview her for the film. We began by visiting the homes of poor tribals to survey and mark out the areas for the construction of double pit sundas (toilets) 'with attached bio-gas production facility'. A workable solution to providing some level of sustainable energy in the area. (The system uses other waste effectively too).

It was interesting to meet these families and many widows in not just this but two other villages in the area as well and to be able to do something practical as well as contribute material to the film.

The interviews with Savita were extraordinary - or rather she is an extra-ordinary person in the context in which she lives and works. A member of the Chaudhari community she married into the landless Halpati community - she had led an ashram life with her father being a locally well known and committed Gandhian - through her work she lives as best she can to uphold these beliefs. She is involved in rural health care, women's dairy co-operative, provision of school meals and education, the sundas programme, womens issues and general upliftment in the area.

She is one of a number of tribal women I've met in India to whom I completely take my hat off for their leadership, courage or devotion to work with their communities and most often - all three.

The last job of the day involved all three of us riding off on Zahir's bike to the house of the lady in the picture. She had a fair sized frontage to her home and she sat there in mid-combing of her hair as we scampered around deciding where we would mark out the pits to be dug. I didn't come back with the digging team in the morning but I have seen the labour required to dig these things out in such heat - I'm with the lady on the step!

Well I can honestly say that this is the only day of my life that was dedicated to the marking out of sites for outside loos!