These days, more women are opting to go out to work to improve their family’s financial stability. Besides, it gives them a sense of purpose. Though working women earn, learn and become financially independent, it can be tough going especially for those who have to go out in the field in all kinds of weather and cannot stay put in their office. Orissa POST asked a few working women what they do to combat the sweltering summer.
Rojalin Prusty, who works for a nongovernment organisation that is involved in bettering the lives of disabled kids in Bhubaneswar, says she is out in the field throughout the day. “As I work with disabled children, I visit their homes daily as part of my official assignment. The task becomes tough in summer and rainy seasons. My work also involves visiting slum kids and I find it taxing to visit several slums in a day as they are spread all over the city. I never forget to carry sufficient water and a packet of glucose to keep myself hydrated. I also make sure to avoid food from roadside eateries as the stuff they serve is not hygienic,” she says.
“Apart from food and water, I use sunscreen lotion to prevent sunburn. Besides, I wear gloves and socks and sunglasses and prefer to wear light coloured cotton clothes during my field visits. I also wash my face as often as possible during the day,” she adds.
Like Rojalin, Subhashree Priyadarshini also takes good care of her health during summer. She works in the traffic police department. She says, “My job is to manage the traffic, so, working in a hostile climate is part of our profession. We are trained in tough weather conditions after joining duty. Still, it was difficult to work in summer in the beginning. Now I am accustomed to it. Since, I have to take care of my family too, I make sure to drink at least three litres of water during my work hours to keep myself fit. At times, I don’t get time to take a proper lunch. So, I always carry something with me to beat hunger. I also manage to take a few slices of watermelon when the roads get deserted with the mercury soaring at about 1 pm.”
Puspita Priyadarshini, who works for underprivileged women, starts her day at about 8 am as she has to travel from Mangalpur near Pipili to Bhubaneswar. She says, “The initial days were very difficult when I had to visit slums at the peak of summer with my colleagues. But as I got more acquainted with the work, I started loving it. Even though I feel drained at the end of the day, working for the poor and needy gives me mental satisfaction. Therefore, I take some precautions to maintain my fitness during summer. I try to avoid soft drinks during my visits and take plain water instead. Sometimes, I sip a glass of glucose water to maintain my energy level. I also don’t hesitate to drink lemon water when offered by the slum women. I suffered from acne breakout last summer due to my negligence. This year, I have been using sun protection lotion religiously before I go outdoors.”
She also uses home-made face packs prepared from gram flour, curd, milk, and lemon to protect her skin.
BRATATI BARAL, OP
