The semi-nomadic Banjara are one of South Asia’s largest, yet most unreached people groups. Social facilitator, Pasqual (not his real name), coached two separate Banjara ministry teams in the early 2000s. He reports:
The team found the Banjara suffered a host of…poverty-related problems, including poor housing, limited access to education, electricity, health care, and clean water.
In South Asia, water collection is a woman’s job, irrespective of her physique–and there’s no respite, even when she is ill or has something else to do, like taking care of young children, harvesting crops, or tending to her home.
As groundwater resources are placed under increasing pressure due to over-reliance and unsustainable consumption, wells, ponds, and tanks can also regularly dry up, escalating the water crisis and placing a greater burden on women to travel long distances. In urban areas, long lines of women with colorful plastic water pots … are eye-catching. But such images can also highlight problems of water scarcity, whether evidenced by lengthy treks to water sources, long lines for water tankers or municipal water taps that deliver it in cities, or intimidation by municipal authorities.
Recently, leaders of Pasqual’s community transformation team found in one city that authorities had disconnected the water supply for 5,000 Banjara people. The Banjara, accustomed to exploitation, felt incapable of dealing with the situation. However, Pasqual’s leaders trained local tribal women how to advocate for the poor. The skeptical ladies then completed the official applications as directed. A couple of days later, they were shocked to find the local water tap flowing.
This so encouraged the Banjara leaders that they are now working towards obtaining other promised government benefits, such as identity documents and education.