Eleven women sanitation workers from the southern Indian state of Kerala, who earn around 250 rupees (USD 3) per day by segregating non-biodegradable garbage from degradable waste, have won a lottery prize of USD 1.2 million (100 million rupees). These women have been facing acute poverty for many years, struggling to meet their basic necessities and unable to afford expenses like their children’s education, medical treatments, and weddings.
Hailing from the town of Parappanangadi in Malappuram district, Kerala, these women work diligently to collect non-biodegradable waste from households. However, the meager pay they receive is barely enough to make ends meet. In their efforts to improve their financial situation, the women occasionally pooled money to buy lottery tickets, once winning a modest 1,000-rupee prize which they shared.
Last month, the group decided to buy a monsoon bumper prize lottery ticket. The poverty they faced was so dire that Kuttimallu (72) felt sad as she couldn’t contribute money for the ticket. Cherumannil Baby, another member of the group, stepped in and offered to lend her half of the required amount.
With equal shares promised to each member if they won anything, the women bought the ticket with hope but low expectations. To their astonishment, they emerged as the lucky winners of an enormous sum.
The households of these women, which have long endured poverty, faced numerous hardships due to their financial constraints. K Bindu (50) lost her husband to kidney failure last year, and they couldn’t afford a kidney transplant at the time. Now, with considerable prize money, she dreams of completing the construction of her house and saving for her daughter’s education.
Similarly, Lakshmi (49) and her family were previously worried about their future, as her husband, a construction worker, struggled to find employment due to heavy rains in the state. Now, they are relieved to have more than enough funds to support themselves and provide for their children.
Leela (56) was deeply concerned about her daughter’s surgery and had already borrowed money against her house for her wedding. With the lottery win, she can now breathe a sigh of relief.
This unexpected windfall has brought hope and happiness to these hardworking women and their families, opening up new possibilities and opportunities that they never thought possible.
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