CMP/AMP/SAM/BLJ/10

My mother had seven daughters. And we had a happy life with her. It was only after the marriage….. my husband left me with two daughters and a son; he even sold the land and left us. I went to Saudi hoping to earn and provide a better life to my children. But I faced difficulties even there. The house work is difficult and also the men in the house. I endured it for some time and then decided I cannot bear it anymore and came back after a year. I couldn’t bear the hardship there.
After coming back I took a bag and a mat and went for weeding in the paddy field. But this work is seasonal, till then we have to wait. We get Rs1000 per day. For weeding we get a plate of paddy for our expense. We accept whatever they give. We have to work under very hot sun. I also made Hoppers and sold them.
I educated my elder daughter to become as a Moulavi at Madrasa. I also educated my second daughter and son in Madrasa. Now I have unbearable difficulties. It is my mother who helps me. Now I sell paddy for my living. If I pound three sacks of paddy I would get Rs1500. I am raising my children with that income.
I don’t even have a house to live. We live in a damaged house. During the rainy time we would go to my sister’s place to sleep, only during sunny time we could stay here. Eldest daughter is 23 and the second daughter is 21. Boy is 17 years old, an age for learning.
It is now 18 years since he left me. He asked me to sell the house and the land, but I didn’t allow him to do so. We have two daughters, if I sell them we would have to squat on the road side. Is there any means for us to earn? That’s why I didn’t try to sell them. Now he got married for the third time. I filed a case. He was drinking and loafing. For some time he paid an allowance to us. Now he is with his third wife and children. Here I am living with great difficulties pounding paddy and seeking help from others to feed us.
Our house got damaged during the war time. In 1991 the house got caught in firing. We didn’t know it was firing. We were arranging the bricks for my uncle; we make and load bricks for him. By then he brought food and told us to go home early. Then there was a bullet shot at the road side. We didn’t know who it was. My uncle told us to keep quite. The TV was on at our aunt’s place. We went to sleep thinking whatever it is we would check in the morning. Just when we went to sleep we heard a firing, it sounded like popcorns popping. We haven’t shut the doors; only after the noise we closed the doors. We were scared to get up and switch off the lights. We got the electricity from our sister’s house. We put that bulb on the other side of the door and shut closed the door. Our father was there with us, there was one shot and we all screamed thinking my father was dead. Everyone inside the house had screamed. When we checked in the morning he was actually dead. The government didn’t do its duty regarding this incident. None of our people went. Only the people from the neighborhood went. 5 of our Muslim people went. Don’t know how many of them.
They shot two people who went for weeding. They were forcefully buried. A conflict started between the two groups. Those who were guarding the mosque got shot. After this incident for about a month we didn’t stay at home during the nights. We go to Kooloada Junction to sleep in the night. In the morning when the prayers begin we would cook and eat and then go to the school to sleep. For one month we were wandering up and down like that.
I am facing much difficulty with two young girls. During the rainy time we cannot stay at home, the house gets flooded.
We were better off during my childhood. My father was doing paddy cultivation. We would pound that paddy and cook. The younger brothers would be earning for us. One of my younger brothers who was taking care of us went to Saudi and died in an accident. He was buried there. He was there for 12 years. He went there when he was 18. He is married and got three children. Now who would take care of us, we have to earn for us.
Our children should not suffer like we did. They should have a better life. That is my wish. I am going for weeding, pounding paddy and making hoppers, my children shouldn’t be going through such hardships.