Chaduvu endhuke neeku?
Sireesha from Mehboobnagar district is 14 years old. She has three siblings. Her father works as a watchman in Hasmathpet, earns 2, 200 Rs per month and sells vegetables during break hours. He gets around 100 Rs per month and on some days 200 and sometimes nothing at all. Last year Sireesha’s father hurt his leg and was confined to the bed. His family had taken a loan of Rs 30,000 from his ex employer for his treatment. Since he couldn’t recover he started sending his daughter for work. It’s been over a year since Sireesha started working. Her employers own an ice cream company and Sireesha does dipping and packaging of ice creams. An amount of 600 Rs is deducted per month.
This young girl wakes up at 6 am and gets ready for work. Her timings are 8 am to 1.30 or 2.00pm and again from 5 pm onwards to 8 pm. No play, hardly any friends. As soon as she is back home from work in the afternoon she nibbles on whatever is cooked at home and rushes to school. Sireesha loves studies and wants to atleast complete her intermediate. She says from the past few months her employer has been making her work at their home too and she dusts, sweeps and mops the floor. There is no extra payment for her. At this rate she might have to work another three years to repay the loan with interest.
“My father went to get the money from the village. I think my grandfather will give him the money. He might free me from this work or may not too. I can’t say anything” says Sireesha. She pleads, “Earlier I would work hard but now I’m just not able to do any work. There is no rest, I just come home and sleep. I wish I could study more. “ Her employer even came to the school one day and reprimanded her for bunking work, and took her back. “Pani ki dumma kodthavu, ikkadiki raaneeki chethanaithada? Chaduvu enduke neeku?”, screamed her employer and dragged her back to work.
hehe….
satish | May 16, 2008 | Reply
all this for 30K?Are you kiddin’ me?
Bharath | May 16, 2008 | Reply
Hi Sunitha
Is there any way to help out these children.I am ready to start that …please suggest
Y. Sunita Chowdhary | May 16, 2008 | Reply
@Bharat…Last month when the raid took place there was no use. The employers paid the fine and took the children back. I’m preparing a case study of these children and we have to do something about them. Yesterday my colleague had already acted on this..bonded labour act or minimum ages act kindha aa employer ni book chestaaru. Very soon. But what about the rest of the kids? Thanks for the prompt response. There is another area in jagadgirigutta…these kids come to school without breakfast. No lunch at home. The teachers are sharing their lunch with them. Maybe we can think on collecting some qunitals of rice.
Rajesh | May 17, 2008 | Reply
Our state Budget = 100000,00,00,000 Rs
That is 1Lakh crore Rupees.
And…
Small Poor kids are going hungry. Where is the money going?
bharath | May 18, 2008 | Reply
Hi Sunitha
This is a Nice gesture from your side…
I have just completed my masters and i started my work..so i am ready to help you in this program of collecting some rice and may be provide them with some decent clothing (because i think these children do not have nice clothing to wear which they truly deserve)…please let me know your plans and always count me in for that(also i have a group of friends who truly believe in this work)
You can always reply me back at bharathsagar.n@gmail.com anytime
once again thanks to you
Prasad | May 18, 2008 | Reply
Hi Sunita,
Very good work.
Please let me know if I can contribute to help them.
Thanks.
Prasad
Raji | May 18, 2008 | Reply
Sunita,
Please let me know too.My email is above mentioned.
Thanks