By Aparna S, Student Intern at Saamuhika Shakti (May to July 2025)
Tucked away within the bustling neighbourhood of Sudhama Nagar, Vinobha Nagar is a small but vibrant locality in central Bengaluru. Out of the 850 households that call it home, about 65–70 depend on informal waste work for their livelihoods—engaged in tasks from door-to-door collection to segregation and running dry waste collection centres. Many women supplement household incomes through housekeeping work, while men often take up daily wage labour.
When Saamuhika Shakti began its journey in Vinobha Nagar during its first phase, the initiative brought together multiple partners—Hasiru Dala, Sambhav Foundation, Sparsha Trust (building on the work of Bal Raksha Bharat), and WaterAid India. Each partner contributed its specific expertise, ensuring the community received holistic, multi-faceted support: Hasiru Dala organised health camps and social security linkages, Sparsha Trust formed mothers’ groups and provided nutrition kits, Sambhav Foundation offered skill training opportunities, and WaterAid India conducted sanitation and hygiene awareness and education sessions.
At the heart of this story is Jothimani, 38, a mother of two young boys, who embodies the everyday strength of women waste pickers navigating multiple burdens. Originally from Tamil Nadu, Jothimani moved to Bengaluru after marriage 12 years ago. For several years, she was a homemaker. But when her husband fell ill with tuberculosis, she stepped up to keep the family afloat.
Today, Jothimani juggles housekeeping jobs in three to four offices while also picking recyclable waste on her way home—sorting plastic and cardboard to sell for extra income. “I need waste picking. I have two children and costs keep rising,” she says simply, underlining the hard economic choices that women like her make every day.
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Jothimani’s day starts before dawn. She finishes household chores, leaves for work, returns home by afternoon to pick up more domestic responsibilities, rests briefly, and then dives back into chores that can stretch late into the night—especially when the water supply comes in, as washing clothes and dishes take extra hours. Her mother-in-law helps with the housework, and her husband, though still recovering from TB, lends a hand when he can. Jothimani is careful to not let him over exert himself.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor of her small house, Jothimani often has to adjust her position. Both her deliveries were cesarean, leaving her with a lingering spinal pain from the injection given during the birthing process that makes it hard to sit for long. “Sitting down for even this short time is killing my back,” she says, shifting uncomfortably but determined to share her story.
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Jothimani first connected with Sparsha Trust’s mothers’ meetings during her second pregnancy. These sessions reinforced and added to her knowledge of nutrition and pregnancy care, which became even more crucial after a difficult first delivery. After returning from the stay at her maternal home in Tamil Nadu during her pregnancy and delivery, she received a nutrition kit from Sparsha Trust to help her and her newborn.
Her concern for her children’s well-being is unwavering. Her youngest, one-year-old Jeevidesh, is underweight, so she reached out to Sparsha Trust for further support. For her older son, Sugandev, now 10, her focus is education. He attends tuition and karate classes organised by a local tutor, and she hopes he will soon join the Child Rights Club (CRC) group sessions facilitated by Sparsha Trust.
Her questions at Hasiru Dala’s monthly meetings often circle back to children’s health and education. For Jothimani, these gatherings and the Community Resource Persons (CRPs)—people like Vasanthi and Muniraju—are trusted sources of help and information.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Hasiru Dala helped her secure rations for her family. They also guided her through tasks like changing her address for documentation. She values having someone to guide her through the system when needed.
One of the changes Jothimani is most proud of is how she has improved hygiene at home. The menstrual health and hygiene sessions organised by Hasiru Dala and Sparsha Trust were eye-opening for her. “I was fascinated to learn about all the changes happening in my body,” she recalls. Though still hesitant, she’s preparing to use the menstrual cup provided at these sessions—a step she hopes will make her day-to-day life a bit easier. More importantly, these practices help her keep her home safer and healthier for her children—a priority that guides every decision she makes.
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Before she stepped out to work, Jothimani rarely left her neighbourhood. Now, she enjoys the freedom of moving around. “When I go out, my mind feels free,” she says, a small but significant shift in her sense of agency.
She dreams of doing more—perhaps finding a stable job in a factory, or even learning tailoring at the nearby Learning Resource Centre run by Sambhav Foundation. She learned tailoring once before marriage and hopes to pick it up again when her children are older and her husband’s health is stable. But for now, with a toddler in tow and mounting expenses, her dreams must wait.
What keeps her going is her vision for her children. She wants them to have a better life, away from the struggles she has known. “Even if I want him to do something else, if he is surrounded by people who do not, it is of no use,” she says quietly, reflecting on the importance of a supportive environment.
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Jothimani’s story is not one of dramatic transformation overnight. Instead, it is a testament to how layered, collaborative interventions—healthcare, nutrition, livelihood, hygiene awareness—can strengthen the foundation of a family’s life. That is why collaboration and communication became essential. In Phase 2 of Saamuhika Shakti, this approach took shape through a joint social mapping exercise, conducted across waste-picking localities in the collective, to better understand the realities on the ground.
One-time efforts or isolated interventions by a single organisation would never be enough. Real change demanded recognising that every part of life is interconnected—a better school for her child mattered, but learning becomes difficult without nutritious food; a higher-paying job helps, but not if it comes at the cost of her health.
It is also a reminder that when organisations work together, combining their strengths and knowledge, they can make everyday resilience possible for women like Jothimani.
In Vinobha Nagar, Saamuhika Shakti’s approach shows what’s possible when communities, grassroots leaders, and partners come together—each playing their part in a collective journey towards dignity, opportunity, and hope.
This case study, prepared by Aparna S, a student of MA Economics at Azim Premji University during her internship with Saamuhika Shakti from May to July 2025, is part of the collective’s ongoing commitment to spotlighting the voices and lived experiences of informal waste pickers and their families, in order to strengthen collective impact in Bengaluru.
By Aparna S, Student Intern at Saamuhika Shakti (May to July 2025)
Tucked away within the bustling neighbourhood of Sudhama Nagar, Vinobha Nagar is a small but vibrant locality in central Bengaluru. Out of the 850 households that call it home, about 65–70 depend on informal waste work for their livelihoods—engaged in tasks from door-to-door collection to segregation and running dry waste collection centres. Many women supplement household incomes through housekeeping work, while men often take up daily wage labour.
When Saamuhika Shakti began its journey in Vinobha Nagar during its first phase, the initiative brought together multiple partners—Hasiru Dala, Sambhav Foundation, Sparsha Trust (building on the work of Bal Raksha Bharat), and WaterAid India. Each partner contributed its specific expertise, ensuring the community received holistic, multi-faceted support: Hasiru Dala organised health camps and social security linkages, Sparsha Trust formed mothers’ groups and provided nutrition kits, Sambhav Foundation offered skill training opportunities, and WaterAid India conducted sanitation and hygiene awareness and education sessions.
At the heart of this story is Jothimani, 38, a mother of two young boys, who embodies the everyday strength of women waste pickers navigating multiple burdens. Originally from Tamil Nadu, Jothimani moved to Bengaluru after marriage 12 years ago. For several years, she was a homemaker. But when her husband fell ill with tuberculosis, she stepped up to keep the family afloat.
Today, Jothimani juggles housekeeping jobs in three to four offices while also picking recyclable waste on her way home—sorting plastic and cardboard to sell for extra income. “I need waste picking. I have two children and costs keep rising,” she says simply, underlining the hard economic choices that women like her make every day.
Jothimani’s day starts before dawn. She finishes household chores, leaves for work, returns home by afternoon to pick up more domestic responsibilities, rests briefly, and then dives back into chores that can stretch late into the night—especially when the water supply comes in, as washing clothes and dishes take extra hours. Her mother-in-law helps with the housework, and her husband, though still recovering from TB, lends a hand when he can. Jothimani is careful to not let him over exert himself.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor of her small house, Jothimani often has to adjust her position. Both her deliveries were cesarean, leaving her with a lingering spinal pain from the injection given during the birthing process that makes it hard to sit for long. “Sitting down for even this short time is killing my back,” she says, shifting uncomfortably but determined to share her story.
Jothimani first connected with Sparsha Trust’s mothers’ meetings during her second pregnancy. These sessions reinforced and added to her knowledge of nutrition and pregnancy care, which became even more crucial after a difficult first delivery. After returning from the stay at her maternal home in Tamil Nadu during her pregnancy and delivery, she received a nutrition kit from Sparsha Trust to help her and her newborn.
Her concern for her children’s well-being is unwavering. Her youngest, one-year-old Jeevidesh, is underweight, so she reached out to Sparsha Trust for further support. For her older son, Sugandev, now 10, her focus is education. He attends tuition and karate classes organised by a local tutor, and she hopes he will soon join the Child Rights Club (CRC) group sessions facilitated by Sparsha Trust.
Her questions at Hasiru Dala’s monthly meetings often circle back to children’s health and education. For Jothimani, these gatherings and the Community Resource Persons (CRPs)—people like Vasanthi and Muniraju—are trusted sources of help and information.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Hasiru Dala helped her secure rations for her family. They also guided her through tasks like changing her address for documentation. She values having someone to guide her through the system when needed.
One of the changes Jothimani is most proud of is how she has improved hygiene at home. The menstrual health and hygiene sessions organised by Hasiru Dala and Sparsha Trust were eye-opening for her. “I was fascinated to learn about all the changes happening in my body,” she recalls. Though still hesitant, she’s preparing to use the menstrual cup provided at these sessions—a step she hopes will make her day-to-day life a bit easier. More importantly, these practices help her keep her home safer and healthier for her children—a priority that guides every decision she makes.
Before she stepped out to work, Jothimani rarely left her neighbourhood. Now, she enjoys the freedom of moving around. “When I go out, my mind feels free,” she says, a small but significant shift in her sense of agency.
She dreams of doing more—perhaps finding a stable job in a factory, or even learning tailoring at the nearby Learning Resource Centre run by Sambhav Foundation. She learned tailoring once before marriage and hopes to pick it up again when her children are older and her husband’s health is stable. But for now, with a toddler in tow and mounting expenses, her dreams must wait.
What keeps her going is her vision for her children. She wants them to have a better life, away from the struggles she has known. “Even if I want him to do something else, if he is surrounded by people who do not, it is of no use,” she says quietly, reflecting on the importance of a supportive environment.
Jothimani’s story is not one of dramatic transformation overnight. Instead, it is a testament to how layered, collaborative interventions—healthcare, nutrition, livelihood, hygiene awareness—can strengthen the foundation of a family’s life. That is why collaboration and communication became essential. In Phase 2 of Saamuhika Shakti, this approach took shape through a joint social mapping exercise, conducted across waste-picking localities in the collective, to better understand the realities on the ground.
One-time efforts or isolated interventions by a single organisation would never be enough. Real change demanded recognising that every part of life is interconnected—a better school for her child mattered, but learning becomes difficult without nutritious food; a higher-paying job helps, but not if it comes at the cost of her health.
It is also a reminder that when organisations work together, combining their strengths and knowledge, they can make everyday resilience possible for women like Jothimani.
In Vinobha Nagar, Saamuhika Shakti’s approach shows what’s possible when communities, grassroots leaders, and partners come together—each playing their part in a collective journey towards dignity, opportunity, and hope.
This case study, prepared by Aparna S, a student of MA Economics at Azim Premji University during her internship with Saamuhika Shakti from May to July 2025, is part of the collective’s ongoing commitment to spotlighting the voices and lived experiences of informal waste pickers and their families, in order to strengthen collective impact in Bengaluru.
