Seventy-year-old woman Yalamandamma has her day cut out for her — selling tamarind under a hot sun all day long in Madduru village.
“Doing this every day takes a toll on my health. But I have to keep doing it or risk going hungry,” the frail woman says.
Demanding job
Like countless other street vendors in the city, Ms. Yalamandamma has been doing this for years. However, unlike other professions, there are hardly any mechanisms in place that will allow women like Ms. Yalamandamma to boost their source of income or have some sort of safety net to fall back on should they become physically incapable of working. Though they help generate a good revenue for the government, street vendors are largely unable to reap the benefits of government schemes launched for their benefit.
For over four years, Ms. Yalamandamma sold tamarind in order to pay for the medical care for her husband, who passed away recently after ailing for a long time.
“I have been selling tamarind for over four years to meet the hospital expenses of my ailing husband. Now, my husband is no more, and I have no one to look after me. Still, I never begged for money on a single day all my life. I might not have money but I have my self-respect,” she says.
Happiness in little things
The self-respect that Ms. Yalamandamma speaks about is a common trait shared by those in her profession.
“I am an independent woman taking care of my two children. I would do anything to provide them a good education. My son works at a barbershop on Sundays to earn a little extra money. I too am earning by putting in a lot of hard work, which makes me content,” says Ahalya Devi, a daily wager in the city.
“My wife Tharuna and I have been running a sugarcane juice stall for the last 10 years in the city. I am used to this line of work from my childhood. I inherited this stall from my father. Though the money we earn is hardly sufficient for our family, we live a respectful and happy life,” says Chiranjeevi Rao, who has steadfastly built up a modest base of regular customers at his stall in Auto Nagar.
At the end of a day’s grueling work, it is the happiness found in little things, and the priceless feeling of self-respect, that keep these people moving forward every day.