THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Assam native Shukla Rani and her family are content. They finally have a place to call home in Kerala, thanks to Kudumbashree’s Pachakadu unit. “After 10 years, my family and I are enjoying a good night’s sleep,” says Rani, 35, who moved into her new house at Vattappara recently.
A widow, Rani had come to Vattappara 10 years ago with her husband Jeevan Majumdar, a welder. He passed away earlier this year. His untimely death shook the family to its core, and left them financially vulnerable. Rani could barely manage to pay rent.
Rani was not willing to return to Assam, as she felt it would affect the education of her children. Though she took up work as a maid, she had trouble managing her work and her responsibilities at home.
That’s when her friend Sreelatha, a Kudumbashree member, stepped in. She, along with other women of the group, supported Rani through thick and thin.
The Pachakadu Kudumbashree members pitched in with contributions to build Rani a house on a three-cent plot. Akash’s school, LPS-Vattapara, also helped financially. “I feel it our responsibility to help the family get back on its feet” said Sreelatha’s father Ashok who, along with his son-in-law and grandson, handled the construction of the new house. For Rani, Kerala is now her home. “I feel comfortable speaking Malayalam. I share a bond with the people of Vattappara,” she said.