Cleaners in India hit the jackpot

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Trash collectors hit the jackpot - 28th August 2023

Eleven women in India have won $1.2 million in the lottery. They're sanitation workers who earn around $3 each per day from collecting rubbish. They put their money together and purchased a lottery ticket which turned out to be the winning ticket.

The women have debts and struggle to repay them on their low wages. One of the women, Radha, was surprised at the news. "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 poor families with lots of debt," she said.

Each of the 11 winners will use their share of the money differently. Radha plans to pay off her debts. Leela, whose daughter was injured after falling from a train a month earlier, will pay for her surgery.

Five of the women are from an Indian social class which faces a lot of poverty and discrimination. This money will help change their situation. But for Bindu, the win brings mixed feelings. Her husband died a year ago because he couldn't afford a kidney transplant. He often bought lottery tickets hoping to win.

Nine of the women will take home a little over $80,000 each after taxes except for two who contributed less to the lottery tickets. However, after paying off their debts and expenses, there'll be very little money left, so they'll continue to work together.

Leela said, "We will not leave this job…"