Sex worker who used to drink sewage worker, has now got the project for slum sanitation.

     

Lata Mane was married off by her family at the age of 14. After two years of marriage, her husband sold her to brothel, after she delivered a boy. She was beaten up by men and sometimes she had to beg at temples for food and drink sewage water. 

It was a hard life for her. But she wanted to get away from it. She took the opportunity of a central government scheme which offered rehabilitation for commercial sex workers. Under that scheme, she along with 24 other women learnt how to make paper lamps and jewellery and sold them in fairs. But most of their items remained unsold.

15 of the 25 women even went back to prostitution, as they thought business was not meant for them. But 10 stayed on and learnt to make perfumes and sold them. This time they tasted success, they even repaid the 1.5 lakh loan amount.

After this they did not had to look behind, and last year they got the project of slum sanitation in her area. Now Mane and her other 9 group members, each employs four men to clean the drains and sweep the area under their projects.

At present Mane herself heads the self help projects, and helps other people like her so that they also get a chance to change their lives. Next week she is going to receive the Indian Industry award for "exemplary work".