Through Wello, Ek Disha Reaches Another Milestone
By Sanchali Basu
HOUSTON: The very well organized annual luncheon by Ek Disha (A Direction) at the Asia Society of Texas on April 23 was packed to capacity with donors, well-wishers, media and organizers – all for a good cause. The society which has been around since 2005 is guided by the simple philosophy of recognizing and resolving basic human needs.
Swati Narayan, President introduced the board and touched upon the mission of the organization “To make a difference” through their various projects. Neil Sen (Gopal), an artist and a board member was introduced with his creation, “Prioritize” a special painting for this occasion. The beautiful painting was auctioned and managed to fetch a handsome $2500 at the end of the event.
The current project that was presented to the audience is a simple but innovative project created by Cynthia Koenig to bring water to the rural remote corners of Rajasthan which is currently dependent entirely on water fetched from the wells by womenfolk in pots carried on their heads. This arduous task proposes a constant challenge to health, time, hygiene and education. Cynthia with her team has designed the “Wello” technology which is a low-cost, multifunctional rollable water wheel that allows easy transportation of uncontaminated water, thus removing the burden of water collection from the shoulders of women and girls. Cynthia described her experience living for months with the villagers in Rajasthan and how gradually but surely, she was able to create an impact and make a difference not only to the women folk but also to the men, and also touched the heart of every member in the well-attended event.
Her project has received several accolades throughout the world and also been approached by the UN for use in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan. The organization is still in need of a lot of help from every corner possible and all were invited to be a part of the collective journey that is EK DISHA. For further information, to help the organization serve to foster change, visit: www.ekdisha.org.