Gurugram: With the announcement of Unlock 4.0, many professionals have resumed travelling for work. However, a certain section still struggles to make the ends meet - domestic workers. In fear of contracting the virus and owing to financial constraints, a large number of households have been asking their house helps to not return to work. Sunita is one of them.
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Currently the only earning member in a family of 5, Sunita worries about her survival. Her husband is unable to work, owing to medical problems. They have 3 children, 2 girls, and a boy. She says, “Before the lockdown, I used to work in 6 homes as a part-timer. Today I have only 1 house, and I’m able to earn barely 2000/- per month”.
While they can’t afford to educate the younger ones, Sunita is trying to make ends meet so that her elder daughter passes 12th grade. In order to pay for her school fees, she has kept her jewellery as collateral. Hearing how much effort she is willing to put in for her child, I appreciated her dedication. Following which she says, “Yes, it is not easy. When I couldn’t afford her fees, the school’s principal asked us to stop hoping for her future. I’ve spent my entire life doing the dishes. At least one of my children should be allowed to dream. If my daughter wants to pursue her education, I will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets access to all resources”.
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Unfortunately, as schools shut down, Sunita was only burdened with more expenses. Initially, she could not afford digital technologies to support her daughter. The digital divide between urban and rural households isn’t a new concept. In a survey conducted by Oxfam India, it was found that 80% of parents whose children study in government schools lack funds to access online classes. To ease her mother’s troubles, Sunita’s elder daughter has taken up a part-time job as a tele caller. Gradually, they were able to purchase a smartphone with the help of a bank loan.
The smile which appears on the face of Sunita seeing her daughter studying on the smartphone definitely speaks of, it is worth it. What Sunita could not do, she is ensuring that her daughter does. A very proud moment for both the mother and daughter.
Sunita still tries to fetch more jobs every day. While some reject her plea, a few of her previous employers have come forward to help financially. Like Sunita’s, there are thousands of stories of workers. And all of them continue to face similar problems that stem from the informal nature of their employment.
Deveshi Trehan can be reached on instagram@ https://instagram.com/shopsoutenir?igshid=f19x48j37lac
She also has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/shopsoutenir/
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