‘Why go to Gulf countries when you can earn more in your homeland?’ asks Ebrahim Hussain, belonging to Enchakkal in the city.
Six months ago, when Hussain got the marching orders from Saudi Arabia owing to Nitaqat after 14 years of gruelling life there as a mobile puncture mechanic, the future was virtually frozen for this 42-year-old man. When the agonies of Nitaqat were reeling out and numerous promises of solace and assistance echoed in the ears of victims from the government, Hussain was impatient to wait to change his plight. Instead, he set out to try his luck with the same job he did in Riyadh - repairing punctures. But with a difference.
“I was deported as I was living there using a free visa. In Riyadh, I used to travel by car, but here I set up a mobile puncture repair unit on a second hand two-wheeler worth Rs 7,000. With an initial investment of around Rs 30,000, I started the job six months ago. Now, I earn a handsome Rs 2,000 on an average a day, which is much more than what I earned in the Gulf country,” says an elated Hussain.
“I decided launch a mobile puncture unit since I found many people struggling to find a workshop to repair their damaged vehicles, especially in the late evenings, near my house at Enchakkal,” says Hussain, who works 24 x 7 without even attending to his personal engagements such as a wedding or a funeral.
“Anyone can seek my service and help anytime,’’ he says. He always stays connected through 8606396047 and 9567739387.
In his new endeavour and life, if anyone thinks that he is only after money, they are mistaken. ‘’Many instances of helping commuters free has occurred in my short stint here. Many couldn’t shell out the service charge on many occasions. But none were abandoned for it,’’ he says with a sense of pride and commitment.
Hussain has come a long way in life, starting with a journey at the age of ten to Gujarat, where he learned the puncture repairing skills. Later, he moved to Mumbai and set up a small shop. It was then that he got a call from Riyadh. But finally, the call from his own land was compelling. And certainly rewarding too.