“Come, come, we will talk while I tie these brooms. Every day, when dawn breaks, I queue up near the borewell along with other women of my colony to fetch water. On my return, I prepare breakfast for my family and then join my colleagues in making brooms.

We start our work of making brooms by 7:30 am and call it a day at 5:30 pm. Whether it is summer, winter, or rainy season, we never stop our work. We have adopted this lifestyle now. We don’t rely on government schemes as we have never received anything from them. Our only concern always remains on how to earn a few hundred rupees and fill our stomachs.

One thing I’ve learned from marriage is that there are a lot of challenges to face once you have children, but it is not a reason to give up on your hopes and dreams. I always wanted to continue working even after marriage and I am glad that I got a supportive husband who encourages me to pursue my goals. Today, I manage this godown near station road, which I can proudly call my second home. I am also proud to say that it has created an employment opportunity for many married women like me.

However, given the current pandemic and availability of other machine-made alternatives, the sales of these brooms have gone down drastically. I only hope people realise the efficiency of these natural brooms and support us to stay afloat. It has taken us years of hard work and sacrifices to establish our business here, so we will continue to work hard even in these difficult scenarios.”