Poduni Mutulama, a resident of Rangaseela Village in Hukumpeta Mandal in Visakhapatanam district, is excited to talk about the changes safe water brought to her village. Mutulama was married at a young age. The responsibility of raising her daughter came to her after her husband’s death. "Earlier, our main water source was a piped water supply. However, since it came from a spring that was a few kilometres uphill, it used to be muddy at times. In summer, the spring would dry up, and women had to bear the brunt of this crisis because they had to arrange water for the family. I used to spend 2 to 3 hours each day fetching water. The water was contaminated, and malaria and typhoid were very common in the community. Every year my family would go through a severe bout of recurrent illnesses. I used to spend all my hard-earned money on medical expenses.” She added, " My parents were farmers. Though I have an elder brother, as a girl, it was my responsibility to help my mother with household chores and fieldwork, and I could study only till 5th standard.” But despite the many hardships Mutulama went through, she was determined to give a better life and education to her daughter, which was her husband's dream. When the Living Water team reached this village for the first time, the Rangaseela community was going through severe water scarcity. Despite Mutulama's repeated pleas to secure a borehole, the local authorities turned a deaf ear.
Following the community’s request for a reliable water source, Living Water provided them with a borehole.
Mutulama says with a big smile, “My life has changed with this borehole, and I have safe drinking water near my house. I fetch water conveniently and save time! Living Water’s Sanitation and Hygiene classes taught us about personal hygiene and the importance of keeping the village surroundings clean. This has brought a significant and visible change in our community”. Defeating her struggles, Mutulama is an inspiration to many women in her village.