Umbrella of Happiness
Who: SEWA
What: SEWA Bhavnagar
Every month, a trade meeting is conducted at SEWA Bhavnagar, where women workers engaged in downstream industries meet and discuss the issues related to their trade. In one such meeting, the women workers raised an issue of adverse effects of extreme weather, women workers shared their experiences of how they are not able to work in hot temperatures because they face problems like high blood pressure, dizziness, dehydration etc. During monsoon, the material gets wet and rusty and decreases its value. They also suffer from diseases like malaria, dengue and vomiting and have to take leave from their work. Their wages are already low and if they do not work for days they won't have money to fulfil their basic needs.
There were subsequent meetings to find out possible ways to solve the issue, in one of the meetings it was planned to provide an umbrella to the women workers. which they could use in both summers and monsoons. Other things related to its size and the type of material to be used in making it resistant to water and heat were also discussed and an umbrella with 8sq ft. weight was ordered, which consists of 5 kg of pipe and 3.5 kg of the circular base which provides support to the umbrella.
Women workers are very happy and in another trade meeting Rekhaben shared her experience after getting the umbrella she said “For 5 years I am been a member of SEWA, and from time to time I was informed about health and safety measures which I should follow to protect any kind of injury and this time after receiving an umbrella now I can work during monsoon and in summer also my work will not suffer any more”.
Adding to this Daiben said “I have been into scrap-breaking work for 15 years and have been part of SEWA for 1 year. I have received the umbrella and now I am working even during heavy rains, earlier I was not able to work in the rain. I am not afraid of losing my livelihood. Previous year I did not work for 4 months in the monsoon and I was also not able to work during summer because of health issues due to hot weather. I was earning only Rs 100 per day but now I can earn Rs 200 per day, also I live in a house made up of tarpaulin and my belongings get wet and drip in the monsoon. The umbrella has protected my things from getting damaged, I am very happy now”.
Reshmaben Khokhar said “I have been doing scrap-breaking work from 10 years. I live in a small house and during monsoons it was difficult for me to work. My health was also affected and I had to take a few days' leave and was unable to earn the savings I had spent on my health check-ups. Now I am working even in the rain without any fear”.
Artiben also shared her experience and said “I am 30 years old and I have been working as a scrap worker for the last 10 years. I have a small house with one room, it was very difficult for me to do work during the summer as the temperature was very high and I suffered from dizziness and high BP due to these health issues I had to spend money on my health which I could have saved for future. During monsoon, I was not able to work as my scarp got wet and rusty due to which I was not able to earn anything resulting in low wages with no savings”
Steps are being taken at international, national and state levels to mitigate the effects of global warming. We cannot reduce the increasing temperature directly as it will take time but we can take precautions against its negative effect.
The umbrella is distributed to women workers to ease their suffering and to provide them with regular working days which they would have lost in case of health issues from the extreme temperature and global warming.
Les mer om prosjektet her.
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