A girl or woman can do anything

[Rati lama]

A girl or woman can do anything whether she receives support from her husband or not, if she has a strong determination in their heart”

A strong determination story from a 48 years old married woman who works hard and sacrifices her life for the education of her children.

 

 

Hi everyone, I’m Rati Lama.  I work with a Rural Aid NGO with support from Global Fund for Children in Alipurduar District, Kalchini Block, State of West Bengal, India. We work in the tea gardens on the issue of trafficking and child labour. Here is my first blog from my SALT visit.

 

A story was shared from the life of a 48 years old married woman, who lived with her two sons (children) in the tea garden of Chinchula, Kalchini Block, Alipurduar District. When we had a SALT conversation, she shared one of the proud stories from her life.

It was a story when her two sons (children) were in the ages of 8-10 years old. In those days her husband used to consume excessive amounts of alcohol and turn into a state of unsound mind. In such a state, the husband told her that he is going out of state for work but he never came back till date.  She has struggled very hard for education of the children.  As an ICDS teacher and the moral support from her mother, she has struggled and worked hard for the studies of her children in good school without fulfilling her own desire and not marrying again in her life.

And now, recently one of her elder son got a job in the bank. From this job of her son, she was very happy and shared that the struggle and hard work which I have done for my two sons didn’t go in vain but they were settled in their life.

From her remarkable story, it motivated and inspired me. As a single woman without the presence and support of her husband, she didn’t allow her children’s education to drop out but instead she determined the continuation to provide education for her children till the job.  And whatever the sacrifice she has made in her life; it touched my heart and connected to a strong relationship with her.

The sacrifice, the hard work which she has done have bear the fruitful colours in her life. From this story, I have learnt that “A girl or woman can do anything whether she receives support from her husband or not, if she has a strong determination in their heart, she can do anything which come in front of it”.