Rourkela: When many in these days are often seen shying away from hard work, a 70-year-old woman of Sector-15 of this city, pulls a trolley rickshaw, not considered a job for the fairer sex, to lead a life with dignity.
“She doesn’t want to become a burden on others as long as she is physically fit,” said Amina Begum when asked as to why she does such an arduous job at her ripe age while her children are capable of earning.
It is better to work hard than begging before others, the 70-year-old said.
Amina is happy with what she earns by collecting rags from various picnic spots in the city.
Amina’s husband Sheikh Moin-u-ddin, who died about 40 years back, used to support the family by pulling rickshaw. After Moin-u-ddin’s death, she had to do odd jobs at others’ houses to raise her three sons and a daughter. However, her earning was not adequate to meet the daily needs of a family of five.
One day, she changed her profession and bought a trolley rickshaw. She started meeting the needs of people by delivering lighter items from the market. Gradually, her earning also increased.
After a few days, Amina set her eyes on a location near aerodrome where picnic parties are held almost round the year. Amina started collecting stuff like water bottles, polythenes, paper cartoons, soiled tea cups, empty oil cans, empty liquor containers and soft drink bottles and sold them in scraps godowns.
While the job was more profitable than her previous ones, the leftover oil and spices offered by the picnickers fulfilled her needs for half of the year, Amina said. The picnic spots are so crowded these days that she has employed one of her relatives to manage things, Amina added.
Though the elderly woman regrets she has failed to make her children educated, she is happy that she managed to get them married and settle down in lives. PNN
