“I am an Asha worker residing in a remote village called Thota Godiput in Alluri Sita Ramaraju district of Andhra Pradesh.

My in-laws and extended family members have been residing here for the last 50 years, but there’s no road connectivity and water supply to our village.

Every day, we had to Trek through the hilly terrain for about 3.5 km to reach the main road. Being a health worker by profession, I have seen a lot of women struggle every day to go to the nearby PHC whenever they require medicine or treatment.

Not only women but even the working men and children from our village had to suffer a lot reaching the main road. Despite the repeated pleas to the local authorities for the Pucca road, no steps were taken by the officials. Several families who were residing in our village had migrated to other places due to road connectivity and water supply issues. That’s when I thought to step up and do something on my own.

I have decided to spend all my savings from the last four years to lay a mud road to our village. I had hired a few local workers and a JCB for laying on the Kutcha road to our village. It took us almost three weeks to complete the process and today we are finally able to lay the pathway for our village.

Now, the vehicles can be driven to our village through the Kutcha road. I may have spent all my savings which was for building a new house but the health condition of my villagers is more important to me than building the house. The house can be built anytime but not the lives.”

• Featuring Ms. Buridi Jemme, a Community Health Worker, who spent her savings to lay a road for the village, Thota Godiput, in ASR District, Andhra Pradesh