Vivekananda Colony, OkhlipuramStrong community dynamics

Community Composition: Comprises of migrants from Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh.

General Description: Is a small 100 household community that is surrounded on two sides by a large open canal and a main road and railway tracks on the other two. Ravi Shankar, a member of the one of the oldest residing families, is an unofficial leader amongst a few in the community. With his help, the community has worked to get 2 aanganwadis, 2 public toilets, fencing (from railway tracks and canal) done using the process of petitioning the MLA and having him release funds. But there are naysayers and opposing groups in the community who steal things and work to impede the progress being charted by Ravi’s group. It is also interesting because there are some caste issues with surrounding settlements.

Sanitation Situation: Has a mixed bag of sanitation solutions. 30 households spent money and had their own toilets built, whereas 30 have gotten free toilets under a Government Scheme that releases 30 free toilets every year on submission of a request along with relevant documents. The rest of the community’s ladies and children use the 2 public toilets that have been built using MLA funds, and are maintained by the BBMP, whereas the men defecate near the railway tracks. Top Reasons to Choose This Location/Unique Aspects: ●Mix of sanitation solutions being used. ●Close-knit small community with differing opinions will make for interesting interactions in

future visits. ●The local leader Ravi Shankar is very articulate and might help a great deal in being able

to help us connect with the entire community. ●They are in the process of building a community space for meeting that is centered

around a temple, and can be used by us while trying out pilots.