6 members of a family live in a small room build on a big hillock at Mustafa Nagar, old city Hyderabad. The room has been built with four walls and an iron sheet on their top. Atiya Begum (30) has 4 children (3 daughters and a son). The eldest daughter Rukhsana Begum is handicapped. The other two daughters are of 9 and 4 years old, while the son is 8 year old. Atiya Begum’s husband works in a glass factory but as he is ill for 3 years, he is not able to lift goods. So he stays mostly at home.
Atiya Begum does tailoring work, she earns Rs 70 per day. 3 children go to government Urdu medium school. The family needs money to buy rations. They don’t even have money to buy medicines or milk for children. The room is so precarious that it may not bear heavy winds and rain.
Atiya Begum says ‘I try to lead my life by doing hardwork, but there are worries of handicapped daughter, and sometimes when there is no work the children are left without food; so I weep and pray to Allah for help.’
Siasat report