The power of resilience: How Neeta defied odds and rediscovered herself
After her husband’s death, Neeta secures a widow’s pension, educates her children and rebuilds a stable life with community support.
This story is of Neeta Devi who lives in Hari Ram Pura, Kushwah colony. She hails from Gwalior. Due to poverty, her parents were not able to educate her and her three siblings. As time passed by, they decided to get their eldest daughter, Kaveri, married to Prakash Singh, who lived in Aalauri village. Soon after marriage, Kaveri and Prakash moved to Hari Ram Pura in search of work and joined the Super Sale Company.
After a few years, Prakash’s younger brother, Ramesh, also joined the same company and started working there. Soon after, Neeta’s parents decided to get her married to Ramesh in 2003. After marriage, Neeta and Ramesh had two children, a girl named Dhruvi and a boy named Dhruv. Ramesh worked in the Super Sale Company for a few years. Everything was going well and they were happy with their life. But in 2008, the company closed.
Soon after, Ramesh started working at the Paras Company and a few years went by. One day, Neeta’s life took an irreversible turn. On 11 October 2011, Ramesh met with a truck accident while he was at work at the company. He passed away.
Neeta was left to raise her two kids and provide for her family. She tried to seek support from the company Ramesh was working at but she was told they would not be able to give her a position. Lack of education was the reason she was given, she was not educated enough. Following Ramesh’s demise, Neeta faced many hardships.
It was during these testing times that community workers from Zenith SSLE’s Samudayik Adhikar Kendra in Malanpur came into contact with Neeta. They reviewed Neeta’s official documents and helped her get the necessary rectification. Furthermore, they helped her obtain Ramesh’s death certificate, submitted all the documents to the secretary and helped her begin receiving support under the widow pension scheme.
Pension was a big support to her. She started working in the company to look after her children and with her hard work she was even able to get her children educated. On 24 May 2023 she got her daughter, Dhruvi, married and her son, Dhruv, is now working. After overcoming several difficulties, now, Neeta is at peace with her life.
