When Every Drop Counts, The Story of Pateliya Village
In Pateliya village, Nangda Pada, Garhi block, Rajasthan, water is life, water is struggle. The only well serving 25–30 households had become severely contaminated over time. Dead animals had fallen into it. But with no alternative, people drank from it anyway.
Women walked over 1 kilometre, uphill, balancing pots of water on their heads. The same water was used for drinking, washing, cooking, and even for cattle.
“Only those who thirst for every drop can understand the value of water.”
Listening, Feeling, Acting, The Moment That Moved a Team
During a Goonj community meeting, when the villagers spoke of their water woes, a plan was born: clean the ancestral well themselves.
One of the Goonj team members, after listening to the women and drinking the same contaminated water, was deeply moved. That moment didn’t just mark empathy; it sparked action.
“That day, I truly understood the meaning of survival and resilience,” the team member reflected.
From Dirt to Dignity: 3 Days, over 50 Villagers, One Well
The community was mobilised under Goonj’s Cloth for Work (CFW) model.
- They climbed into the 10-foot-diameter well.
- They cleared animal remains, debris, and silt.
- They repaired a collapsed pit beside the well.
No external machinery. No waiting for outside support. Just people taking ownership.
Community Cleaning the Well in Nangda Pada
More Than Clean Water, Planting a Culture of Care
After three days, clean water returned to the well and to the lives of those who depend on it.
But the restoration didn’t stop there.
- Suriya (32): “Now we will drink clean water. This will reduce diseases.”
- Lali (45): “We’ll plant trees around the well for shade and protection.”
- Chetan (36): “We’ve pledged to clean the well ourselves every year.”
Goonj’s Cloth for Work: A Model of Self-Led Resilience
This story is not about infrastructure; it’s about dignity, agency, and resilience. Through Cloth for Work, Goonj enabled a community to come together, not to demand change, but to become the change.
In a region where water is scarce and systems often fail, the people of Pateliya proved that sometimes, the solution lies in collective hands and a shared will.
Restored and Refilled Community Well After Cleaning
Be a Part of Change
Our invitation to you is, start from where you are.. From a small change of starting a Goonj kee Gullak or Team 5000, joining a long and deep change process, or things in between- organising a collection drive, a volunteering journey, an internship, or simply walking with us signing for a Goonj monthly newsletter subscription.. More on www.goonj.org or write to [email protected].
Many options, but the choice is always one; Taking Action..
