Gone are the days when low key jobs did not interest women job seekers. The trend has changed wherein the grassroot level women are managing their livelihood with low profile jobs. Infact, in this male bastion society they are working hard to establish their own identity without any godfather.
Can poverty shatter the urge to rise and shineIJ For 25-year old Malti Tirkey, a Brand Promoter for Kellogg’s at Reliance Mart who is a Post Graduate in Public Administration from Ranchi University her family’s poverty has never been a hurdle in pursuing her studies. Her parents are farmers at Gumla and cannot support their daughter financially. Malti had been working as a Salesgirl with a monthly salary of around `5,500 since her BA final year at Gossner College. “I have never put a break to my studies,” said Malti. This girl is preparing for National Eligibility Test as well and aspires to owe a doctorate degree and become a lecturer if she is able to earn better in future.
“Dreams can never be true,” said 20 year old Silvanti Kumari lakra, a private security agency guard at the state capital who always wanted to study at an English Medium school so that she could grab a Government job and contribute financial help to her family. But, for her agriculture background parents at lohardaga this was not possible. They somehow made her study till intermediate. Expressing her depression Silvanti echoes, “I feel envy when I see girls of my age working as guards in government organizations and earning a handsome payment because they have passed out from English medium school.” Since 2011 she is working as a guard with a monthly salary of `6000 approximately just to manage her own living.
The present education system has made both father and mother to work as professional especially for the middle class family. But, the case is now applicable for Below Poverty level (BPl) also. Devanti Devi, a 50 year vegetable seller at Kanke Road her illiteracy has been a curse for her but she does not wants to let the same no-education tradition surround her children’s life. With just a daily income of `100 to 150 she and her graduate husband are teaching their children. Out of her four sons and one daughter, elder is inter passed, second son is pursuing inter at Marwari College and other two sons have just appeared matriculation exams. Her daughter is in class VIIth. “I was married at the age of 11 years when my husband was in Class VIth. We want our children to persue a successful career after completing their higher education. Bearing their educational expenses is my life’s main ambition,” Devanti said who comes from Itki road everyday and continues from 5 am to 3pm.
like Devanti, Monika lakra, a 33 year old petrol dispenser at Bharat Petroleum pump at Ashok Nagar had worked as tailor and now managing the primary schools education of her kids. Her husband is jobless but she with a mere monthly income of `2,500 has sacrificed her own wishes. “I am matric passed and had tried to get into police as constable because I am physically perfect for such jobs and would have earned better but misfortune engulfed that desire. I want my children to fulfill their aspirations with a healthy life,” says she.
Monika’s colleague Neelam Minz has another inspiring story. Hailing from Simdega, Neelam is an intermediate passed student. life played a game with her career. After fighting all the odds her BPl parents somehow managed to pay the fees of her nursing course at a training centre at Vishakhapatnam but she had to quit the course at the mid and return back home since her parents exposed their inability to pay her course fees. Sharing her future plans Neelam said, “I am grateful to the almighty for making me self independent because my parents want me to get married somehow. For now I am grateful to the almighty for giving me a job which has given me a reason for existence. I want to owe a graduation degree somehow and make my parents proud with a worthwhile earning job.”
It is true age has no justification when it is about fulfilling responsibilities especially for ladies. Shakuntala Devi, a 55 years old Sales girl from Piska Moore had married off her two children by being in this door to door razor selling business for last 20 years with a monthly salary ranging from `5000 to 6000. Her husband works in vehicle body building industry and is unable to meet the basic needs of the family. “I earn to provide the basic necessities to my family,” said Shakuntala.