Deprioritising health unless you are unwell is a common approach that many follow…
“I used to work mechanically without much interest, came to work very late and would take leave often. In order to save money, I would not cook at home, but used to end up spending money on medicines and illness. I never interacted much with the coworkers,” says Lalitha, describing her old self.
“Nowadays, I wake up early and finish my chores at home and go to work on time. I only used to eat rice and tamarind water but have now added vegetables, egg and milk to my diet. I don’t fall ill often and don’t spend unnecessarily on doctor visits,” reports Lalitha.
Lalitha is the head of the family and has taken on this responsibility, delegating appropriately to her son to manage the home and work. Her punctuality at work and efficiency have been noticed and appreciated by her supervisors, only motivating Lalitha more. Being able to perform her duties has increased her self confidence. Her son has noticed the change in her demeanour and also supports her with household chores. Lalitha finds solace in the temple and uses the visits to manage her stress. She realises that everybody has problems and one needs to confront and overcome them. Lalitha works with her son to reduce expenditure and save money. They are now saving Rs. 5000 per month and are setting aside money for future goals. She has promised to conduct her son’s wedding without taking dowry and is confident of leading a happy life.
“The training made me realise the importance of clean water. Now I make sure everyone drinks only filtered water.”
Mala recalls being stressed constantly at work and at home. She lacked the confidence to speak to her co-workers and supervisors and at the same time, became easily irritated with them. She was even scared to pick up her monthly salary. Her lack of confidence was compounded by her lack of knowledge. She did not know the factory’s rules and regulations and was reprimanded for not following them. All this combined, left her unmotivated. Her day at the factory was tense and she brought that tension home, quarrelling with her husband, children and mother-in-law.
Her home life was not stress-free as she did not communicate well with her husband and took all the household chores upon herself. As a result, she often carried the tension from home into the workplace. Mala says the WiF programme helped her change her life–by teaching her how to communicate, manage stress and monitor health and nutrition better. She has started to take care of her family’s health by making sure they eat nutritious food, drink clean water, and keep their house clean. Mala now prepares different varieties of nutritious foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which her children love and have complimented her. She also bought a water filter because, “The training made me realise the importance of clean water. Now I make sure everyone drinks only filtered water.” Her husband and children appreciate her efforts in keeping them healthy.
