I am Kali Devi, a resident of TRansport Nagar Kachi Basti Rajasthan.
My story is about hope in despair. What else can it be, from a partially handicapped person, who doctors said will keep losing bone health with every passing day, confined to a gunghat to someone who is recognised, looked upon with awe, respected. COuld life have been better. I an uneducated slum resident would had never imagined this miracle in middle age.
I will surely credit myself and my family for never giving up hope. I use a cane for walking, I use it for doing household chores, I also use it to run from pillar to post to make the voice of the unheard heard.
We have benefitted by coming together as a Single Window Forum. The officials now listen to us and also consult us when take come to the settlement. As for the community, they approach us for any sanitation related issue and we together plan how to find a solution. Besides sanitation we also work on helping the disabled, elderly and single women in the basti as they need our support in securing their dues.
Transport Nagar is a fifty year old slum inhabited by residents who were involved in kilns where limestone powder was manufactured.Most of the families came here to work in the kilns . In course of methedust and smoke from these kilns became a health hazard not only for the employees but also for the neighboring and colonies. The government put a ban on the kilns and most workers were rendered without any work to support their families.
I and my family have been living in Transport Nagar for over 35 years. I came here at the age of 15 with my husband who was 25.
I was disabled and my husband was poor so we got married. I have two children -two girls and one boy. Eight months ago my husband had near- fatal accident, he fell off the terrace and fractured his backbone leaving him bed ridden.
Part one, More later
As told to Toufiq Rashid .