Favourite time of day for Didis

For women in marginalised communities, the opportunities for rest and relaxation are rare. Along with the burden of earning an income they have gendered roles within the household which they have to fulfill. These roles include taking care of livestock, household chores, looking after the children, elderly, and sick among others. This makes those moments of quietness and leisure even more precious for women.?

The economic inclusion program seeks to not only enhance economic security of the most marginalised households, but also create an environment where women are able to have leisure. Let’s look at how three Didis in our Economic Inclusion Program, coming from three different states, communities and levels of poverty view and use their moments of leisure.

Sabu Sabar

Sabu Sabar Didi is from the Sabar community, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), and lives in Auli Gerya village of Jhargram block in West Bengal. She is 65 and her primary source of earning is through begging and collecting seasonal forest produce like sal leaves and mushrooms. Through these she manages to earn at most ?500 a month. Her meals usually consist of panta bhaat (rice soaked in salt water).

Every morning, she wakes up and begins the difficult task of gathering food for her family. Her husband has a disability due to which he cannot help her, and she is still grieving the loss of their son, who was killed by an elephant. Her favourite time of day is when she returns home after a long day and spends her time caring for her husband. She talks to him, helps him eat, and connects with him. Despite her own struggles, she remains dedicated to supporting and loving him. Didi has only one person in her life—her husband and all she dreams of is two meals a day, a secure livelihood, and providing good care and medical support for her husband.?

Sumi Hembram

Sumi Hembram Didi is 23 years old and from Sisubari village (Borobazar block) of Assam. She is from the Santhal community and lives with her husband and their one year old child. They both work as daily wage earners. Her husband earns around ?300-400 per day, while she earns ?300. Her husband is considered the main source of income in their household.

Sumi Didi rears other people's livestock and started a small kitchen garden of her own, her husband built a wooden structure for raising goats that belong to other people, which is called the Adi system.

Sumi Didi likes to begin her day early as she takes pride in and enjoys keeping her small home clean and organised. In addition to maintaining cleanliness, she loves cooking and visiting her neighbours. As they don't have electricity, she doesn't watch TV. As they live in a flood prone area she dreams of buying a safer piece of land and sending her child to school.

Lali Devi

Lali Devi is a Community Resource Person (CRP) who worked as a changemaker for identifying the most excluded households in Sakarwada village (Todabhim block) Rajasthan. She is 34 and lives with her husband and two sons. Both of them work as labourers, carrying soil or stones, and had a loan of ?45,000. Her work as a CRP helped her earn ?14,700 and she has used it to support her children's education.

Didi treasures mornings as she enjoys listening to the chirping of birds in the village. It gives her a sense of positive energy, which provides her with the strength needed for the hard work she does throughout the day. During the day, she only has one hour free, and she likes to listen to the news at that time. She is fond of watching Kundali Bhagya, a TV family drama, for its portrayal of love and emotions. It was her dream to become a doctor, but she was married at a young age. She wants her children to become doctors and works hard to achieve this dream.

Story and Photos by For West Bengal, Chayanika Roy | For Assam, Vishal Bodosa | For Rajasthan, Sonia Saini

Anandadhara (West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission) | Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission | Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (Rajeevika), MoRD, GoR