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Feelings

The Voice Quilt: Amplifying the voices of waste worker communities

Feelings: Distress

In my case it is very difficult to manage. Due to lockdown we have lost work and income. If it continues, we will have to face many problems. We don’t have ration cards and other identity proof. The government is distributing groceries and 1000 rupees for every family. But as we don’t have identity cards, we have not getting this help from the government. Only those who are rich are getting help from the government. We have tried to meet some government officers to request help for the waste pickers’ community, but they haven’t come forward. What they are thinking is that if they visit our slums, they will get corona. At the same time, we are also afraid.

The Voice Quilt: Amplifying the voices of waste worker communities

Feelings: Empathy

The pastor, after coronavirus came… he gave us food worth 250 rupees, Madam. He also… he also doesn’t have much to begin with. He also works. When they said that people here shouldn’t go there, people there shouldn’t come here, right Madam. That’s why he organised many kinds of relief – blankets, food.

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Feelings: Gratitude, Resignation

This organisation helped us in critical times. They have helped us so much. The government has not done anything for us except for those 2 kg of rice which I mentioned earlier. Leaving that aside, nobody has done anything. The organisation supported us and that is how we could manage for 1 month. The rest of the time we spent the money we had from here and there, and somehow managed the rest of the time.

The Voice Quilt: Amplifying the voices of waste worker communities

Feelings: Gratitude

A doctor gave us soaps, shampoos, flour… to make chappatis… flour, Madam. Coffee powder, sugar…he gave these to us… the doctor. He gives us vegetables, gives us rice, gives us oil, he gives us everything.

PAC00491_Arise Voice Quilt patches_5

Feelings: Mental distress, Gratitude

All of us are at home only. No earnings at all. It has been a tough, very tough 2 ½ months. We have never faced such difficulties in our lives. If we had not received any support from this organisation, it would have been very, very tough. They gave us one month’s provisions, and then we got some from the public distribution system (‘ration shop’) which helped us maintain our lives.

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Feelings: Stress of contracting COVID

When we see a bottle or any other recyclable that people have thrown, we experience a fear before we pick it up. So, we are picking recyclables with much hesitation and trepidation. We may pick some and bring them, or leave some where they were thrown itself.

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