Cleaners in India hit the jackpot

Rags to riches - 28th August 2023

Eleven sanitation workers in India's Kerala region hit the lottery jackpot of $1.2 million. Burdened with debt, the women pooled their resources together to purchase the winning ticket.

Eking out a living on a daily wage of around $3 for rubbish collection and sorting, the women face medical bills and loans taken out for dowries or the tuition fees of their children. When the Kerala government lottery announced a special summer monsoon season "bumper prize", the women made equal contributions, barring two who split their contribution between them, towards a $3 ticket.

Having selected the winning ticket, fortune favoured their bold move. One winner, Radha exclaimed, "It's unbelievable. We had to check with multiple people to make sure that we won and still we couldn't believe it. We all come from very poor families with lots of debt and liabilities."

They'll all use their share of the winnings according to their personal needs. Having been a victim of financial scams, Radha will clear her debts. Leela, will cover the cost of surgery for her daughter who sustained injuries having fallen from a train a month prior.

An Indian social class deemed untouchable, the Dalit community, of which five of the women including Leela belong, encounter discrimination and abuse daily despite the government's efforts to grant them protection. This money will make a world of difference to their standard of living.

Nevertheless, for one winner, Bindu, hitting the jackpot is bittersweet, given her husband passed away a year ago, having succumbed to kidney disease due to lack of funds for a transplant. He often purchased lottery tickets in hopes of a miracle.

Despite the rags to riches story, after tax deductions, each winner will take home just a bit over $80,000, with the exception of the two who had initially split their contributions. After paying off the debts they've accrued and covering daily expenses, the women will be left with very little. They will return to their regular lives, sticking together, as Leela points out. "We decided one thing… We will not leave this job because it was this collective that brought us prosperity."