In June, a group of 11 women who work as sanitation workers in the state of Kerala, India, decided to pool their money to buy a lottery ticket. To their immense joy, they discovered last week that they had won the jackpot of 100 million rupees ($1.2 million; £946,685).
These women are part of a team responsible for collecting non-biodegradable waste from households in Parappanangadi town, located in Kerala's Malappuram district. Typically, they earn around 250 rupees a day from monthly payments made by households and occasionally receive a share of the revenue generated by the local corporation from selling the segregated waste they collect.
Despite their hard work, the women admitted that the income they earned was not enough to meet their needs. Many of them had resorted to borrowing money and taking loans to support their children's education and other essential expenses. To improve their financial situation, they would occasionally join forces to purchase lottery tickets.
The lottery system is mostly illegal in many Indian states, but Kerala's government runs a legal and highly popular lottery program. Private lotteries, however, are banned in the state.
One member of the group, MP Radha, was usually responsible for buying the tickets. Last month, they decided to invest in a 250-rupee ticket for a monsoon bumper prize lottery, which is issued for special occasions like festivals.
Kuttimalu, aged 72, initially felt sad as she didn't have enough money to contribute. However, another member, Cherumannil Baby, offered to lend her half of the required amount, and the two women put in 12.5 rupees each, while the remaining nine women paid 25 rupees each.
To their surprise, the group won the jackpot, but they only learned about their victory a day after the draw when one of them asked her husband to check the results.
The lottery win has brought immense relief and hope to these hardworking women, each of whom has their own compelling story. For instance, Cherumannil Baby, aged 62, had lost her house during the devastating floods in Kerala in 2018. Now, she plans to use the money to rebuild her home and pay off debts.
K Bindu, aged 50, tragically lost her husband to kidney failure last year, and the family struggled to afford his transplant. She now hopes to use the winnings to educate her 15-year-old daughter for a better future.
Lakshmi, aged 49, had been anxious about her family's future due to her husband's struggles to find work as a construction worker, particularly during heavy rains in the state. With the lottery win, she can now focus on her daughter's education.
Leela, aged 56, was facing financial worries related to her daughter's surgery and had already borrowed money for her wedding by taking a loan against her house. The lottery prize will now help ease her burdens.
After deducting government taxes, the group will receive 63 million rupees. Cherumannil Baby and Kuttimalu will equally divide their share of 6.3 million rupees, while the others will each receive 6.3 million rupees.
Despite their newfound wealth, these remarkable women remain dedicated to their community work. Alongside collecting waste, they also contribute to constructing public toilets and installing waste disposal facilities, as coordinated by the Suchitwa Mission, an agency overseeing these efforts across the state.
Even after their life-changing win, the 11 women have committed to continue their sanitation work, acknowledging that it was their collective effort that brought them prosperity.
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