For the past 10 years, Shalan Vayle has been collecting waste from the home of Jayshree Jagdale, also a SWaCH waste picker. The ring belonged to Jayshree Jagdale’s daughter-in-law, Priyanka Jagdale, and was her wedding ring. It was accidentally thrown away while cooking, when Priyanka removed the ring, wrapped it in paper, and unknowingly disposed of it along with household waste. Once the family realised the ring was missing, they began searching and contacted Shalan Vayle, who immediately returned the ring with complete honesty.
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Speaking about the incident, Jayshree Jagdale, former principal of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore School, Pune, said, “The monetary value of the ring is not important; the emotions attached to it matter more. It was my daughter-in-law’s wedding ring. Throughout my career in education, I have always taught students the importance of honesty in work and life. Today, I experienced that honesty in reality.” Deeply moved by Shalan Vayle’s integrity, she honoured her with a saree to encourage such ethical conduct and inspire others. She also expressed gratitude to the SWaCH organisation, stating that the honesty and integrity of waste pickers reflect the institution’s core values.
Recently, another SWaCH waste picker, Anju Mane, had returned a bag containing ₹10 lakh in cash found on the road. Such incidents symbolise the strong bond of trust built over the past 20 years between SWaCH waste pickers and citizens. This integrity is witnessed daily as waste pickers provide door-to-door waste collection services to lakhs of Pune residents.
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