Ever questioned the significance of a bowl of water? Well, you probably wouldn’t have — but that mere bowl makes a world of a difference to the strays around your area. Speaking about how the Water Bowl Project Bengaluru, a self-funded community initiative to feed stray animals, is steadily garnering a lot of traction, Sanjana Govindan Jayadev, the front runner of the initiative, shares the inside track with us…
“In January 2013, as the temperatures began soaring in Bengaluru, I noticed that stray dogs on my street looked increasingly dehydrated. One day, on returning from work, I noticed a street dog drinking from a puddle of cow urine in desperation! It alarmed and deeply saddened me as it was a flagging sign of how inconsiderate and negligent we can be towards animals and their basic needs,” shares the enterprising 30-year-old, who then quit a lucrative career in development banking to do her bit.
“I began putting out a bucket of water every day, but soon realised that this was not a long term solution — people would steal the bucket, damage it and soon cattle began frequenting the bucket and would almost always topple it over.”
But then again, if you’re really passionate about something, you make it happen. “I began looking online for solutions to this problem, and chanced upon the work of ‘In Defense of Animals’, Mumbai. They put out bowls made out of concrete. It made sense to me, and so I procured my first set of bowls from Siddapura in Jayanagar. Soon cows, dogs, birds, squirrels and even bats began frequenting. Moreover, the arrangement seemed impactful and easy to execute. I decided to share bowls with animal lovers I knew. I crowd funded the project via Wishberry. Once the project raised some money, I joined hands with Sunil Om, a fellow Bengalurean for distribution in North Bangalore, while I look after the rest,” she says.
Considering how it requires a lot of courage and the will to make a difference, we quizzed her about her support system, to which she smilingly responded, “There’s always a resistance to do something unconventional. But I’ve been fortunate enough as my family has been extremely supportive and encouraging. The Water Bowl project is almost completely self-funded. There is an option to pay (Rs 200) but only if you can afford to.”
Three years into the concept, and Sanjana tells us how she couldn’t be happier about starting it all. “I am deeply passionate about animals and I rescue, rehome, foster and rehabilitate injured or abandoned animals at my home. I also try to learn as much as I can from rescuers and animal activists around the city.”
For Sanjana, there’s always time for hobbies, “I try to learn from rescuers and activists. I love to garden and paint and am learning Braille with the hope of translating children’s books,” she adds.
What’s next on the anvil, the proactive girl says, “The idea of the Water Bowl project has been recommended for inclusion in the syllabus of different boards (for primary school). During the monsoon and winter, I have planned workshops in schools to talk about the project and encourage children to maintain water bowls. The project is not just about putting out a bowl — Most of us don’t spend even a moment thinking about where our local wildlife gets their food and water from. This is our shared journey and the only sustainable way forward is to embrace our ‘humanity’.
