I am Gita Bando, 25 years old belonging to Barpeta district of Assam. I came down to Mumbai along with my companion to work as a domestic worker. I do not have parents. Hence, I had to take responsibility to take care of my siblings. When I reached Mumbai, I was taken by an agent to a family for domestic work. I could do all the works that were assigned to me. But I was not able to take the verbal abuse of the house owner’s wife. In the beginning, I just ignored it and went about my work. But constantly without any reason she used to find fault with me and abuse me with hard words. I was not able to endure any longer and I started going into depression. I had no one to share. I could not sleep and lost my hunger and started getting lethargic. I was able to trace the phone number of one of my companions with whom I travelled to Mumbai. She informed the agent, and the agent brought me to my companion’s house where she was also working as a domestic worker in that house. My companion informed the MOS team, Bro. Anup Tirkey SJ, and immediately he reached Mumbai and brought me to Kozhikode and then sent me back to Assam with one of my cousins working in Kottayam district, Kerala. In Kozhikode, the MOS team provided psychosocial care and accompanied me which I needed badly. Soon I recovered to my normal self. I am ever grateful to Bro. Anup Tirkey SJ, and the MOS team for bringing me out of my crisis. I am deeply grateful to CG Project Director who financed all my travel expenses from Mumbai to Assam.
I am Rojita Uthansingh, wife of Mr. Santosh Uthansingh from Kandhamal district of Odisha. We have been living in Kerala for 6 years with my husband, a 3-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. My old in-laws are there in Odisha. I was suffering from stomachache for a year. But the pain was unbearable. Whenever I took medicine, the pain subsided. I lost my third child, 9 months old in July 2022. I was stressed out. Again, in August my stomachache started. I consulted the doctors and took medicines. I took allopathic and homoeopathic medicines, but it did not work. I was managing my life.
In the second week of January 2023, I had severe pain, and I could not bear it. I was rushed to the hospital at Perumbavoor. Scanning was done and seeing the report the doctor advised me for an immediate operation as I was diagnosed with a liver stone. We went to Kalamassery Medical College, but they told us that it would take more days to get admitted, as there are many patients on the waiting list. My husband Mr. Santosh informed JEEVIKA team about my condition and Mr. Birendra visited us at the hospital. We went to Lisie Hospital Ernakulam. The surgery was done successfully. Now I am feeling better and recovering slowly. I thank the JEEVIKA team and the CG project Director for giving me partial support for my operation. I am ever grateful to JEEVIKA.
Gita Bando and Rojita