by MARK MAGNIER
Reporting from Kolkata, India – She grew up in a dusty West Bengal village, where no one had access to toilets. Most of the female villagers headed to a particular field. But it was a bit of a walk and often required asking another woman to help shield you from lecherous men.
Boko, a 35-year-old woman with a yellow sari and a big smile, now sweeps floors at a truck stop with toilets. It’s a big improvement, says the woman, who identified herself only by her first name.
A United Nations report released March 15 says that despite progress in the last two decades, 2.4 billion people around the world still lack access to basic sanitary facilities — including an estimated 638 million in India alone.
Los Angeles Times for more
(Submitted by Asghar Vasanwala)