By Nityanand Shukla, IANS,
Ranchi : In her own little way, Jharkhand resident Magdali has broken into a male bastion. She repairs flat bicycle tyres for a living – a skill she was forced to pick up after 20 years of being a housewife.
In her 40s, Magdali lives in the state capital. She used to be a housewife like any other until five years ago when her husband – who ran a puncture repair shop – died. Faced with poverty and with three children to take care of, she decided to take up the work.
“After the death of my husband, my family was on the verge of starvation. I decided to repair punctures like my husband,” said Magdali.
“The tools and other necessary things were in my possession and I started learning the work. Now I am comfortable with the job,” Magdali told IANS.
She gets around 10 to 15 customers a day.
“Initially, people used to stare at me, they were surprised to find a woman repairing punctures,” she says with a smile. But she is now skilled enough to make between Rs.50 and Rs.150 per day.
From her savings, she managed to marry off her daughter two years ago.
However, she has one big regret – the money is not enough to educate her two sons. “Due to poverty I have not been able to meet the expenses of their education. Now both work in ‘dhabas’ (roadside eateries),” she added.
She also has another wish – for a bank loan to start a repairs workshop where she can expand her work from cycles to mobikes and cars!
(Nityanand Shukla can be contacted at [email protected])