In November 2020, as the nation suffered from the pandemic and the economic shock, two blocks of Nehru Nagar, Patna received warnings of impending penalties if they continued to access electricity illegally.
“I don’t share personal details with just anybody,” said Gunja Kumari Ben, a resident of Bhagalpur, Bihar, as she was approached for a conversation. But when we came to know that she was being approached by SEWA Bharat, Gunja Ben visibly let go of some of her inhibitions.
Kripa ben was married off at an early age in a conservative family. She stays with her in-laws, husband, and a five-year-old daughter in a rented house on the outskirts of Farukh Nagar, Haryana. As the norms didn’t allow Kripa ben to work outside the home, the entire family was financially dependent on her husband’s earnings, who worked as a driver.
Soniya ben stays with her parents and children in Farukh Nagar after leaving her husband’s home because of domestic violence. Since then, she has wanted to be financially independent and build a secure future for her children. But fewer years of education and lack of information made it difficult for her to pave a path towards it.
Savita ben migrated from Rewari district to Haryana’s Farukh Nagar with her husband and three children in search of better job opportunities. Although she ad her husband worked as a primary school teacher and as an electrician respectively, their collective income couldn’t meet the family expenses.
The lockdown imposed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus adversely affected the migrant workers who lost accessibility to basic services. In Uttar Mainpura, Patna, SEWA aagewans brought attention to the hunger-stricken conditions of migrant workers, who feared dying of hunger due to the pandemic.
Parveen belongs to a poor family in Jaipur, Rajasthan. She assists her parents in their lacquer craft business. She has been associated with SEWA for the past one year, where she started with learning stitching and is now a Micro-Enterprise Leader (MEL) for the Digital Beti Project.
Renu Ben, a domestic worker and didn’t have a ration card. She hadn’t been paid in March and April and her family was running very low on rations. The local SEWA team informed her about the e-coupon system that SEWA Delhi lobbied for, which would allow those without the necessary documentation to avail ration services. It required registering for an e-coupon.
Rubina Ben hails from Basti Shastri Nagar, Jaipur. Due to complications with her first pregnancy, Rubina Ben had to deliver her child through an operation, which would prove to be the only way to birth her second child as well. She got herself a card at the Jana Hospital for further medical assistance.
Shamshad Bano, a resident of Khwaja Colony in Bikaner, has been associated with SEWA Rajasthan since 2008. She has been instrumental in spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene and distributing sanitary napkins to the women of her community, who never had access to them.
