Service on Wheels:  Nandini Mobile Van

In the last year, the Nandini Mobile Van has logged thousands of kilometers.  Educating rural citizens in the areas of sanitation, waste management, and public and personal health is the primary goal of the project.  Through the years, a strong emphasis has been placed on women’s empowerment and personal hygiene with children.  With 70% of Indians living in rural environments, there are literally thousands of villages to visit. 

Keeping this in mind, Nandini and its dedicated team of staff and volunteers have visited 17 villages in Gujarat for an average of 3-5 days each, wherein they engage with the local communities in innovative and creative ways of spreading the knowledge of responsible and safe sanitation and health management.  Many of these villages, after the Nandini visit, developed sanitation committees to address the longer term education and application of these learnings.  In this time, 8 villages have now been classified as model villages for sanitation based on the fact that 100% of homes in the village not only have toilets installed, but also utilize them. 

While spreading this awareness will always be the primary objective of the Nandini Van project, there have been many other discoveries and benefits in the last three years.  In this time, 56 domestic and international volunteers have accompanied the staff on these rural excursions.  During and after these visits, the volunteers are always amazed at the depth of the experience and the opportunity to immerse in these rich and colorful communities. The interactions and exchange of learning between families in these villages and volunteers from urban settings in Ahmedabad, other states in India, and from all over the world are a sight to behold.  The beauty of a project like the Nandini Mobile Van is how its benefits reveal themselves to us over time.

Water Is life & Sanitation is a way of Life.