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.
Our organisation people gave us masks. Then the government, municipality people also gave us masks… for our children.
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.
Whatever he [husband] used to earn in a day, 400-500 rupees, he would drink right there and then. He would spend all the money. Not just that, whatever we would earn, he would take that away, hit me, and use the money to buy alcohol. He is not drinking anymore. Nobody has any money either. It has become very difficult at home.
No one came, no one enquired what is going on, how we are… how are people in the slums. There are snakes, and a lot of other problems here, but somehow we used to manage to earn at least 10 rupees. Now, even that is not possible. We have to leave our children and go. We are worried about what will happen to the children if we leave them at home and go.
In the beginning, we used to feel scared, Madam. But since we are taking precautions, we are doing okay.
Some of us are wearing masks. When we go outside, we go out wearing masks. But if we’re near our house itself, we don’t wear masks. We stay inside our hut itself. If we’re near the house, nobody wears, Madam. Small children don’t wash hands…some people’s children. But while going outside, people definitely wear masks.