Against all odds, a post-woman delivers

Garla (Mahabubabad): Rain or shine, Sheikh Jameela, mother of two girls who ventures out on her bicycle every morning to deliver letters to the public, illustrates what grit and determination is all about, especially when odds are stacked against. She is the pillar and sole breadwinner of her family.

Garla, a tiny town 225 km east of Hyderabad, once a popular hangout destination for the Nizam ruler, where Jameela lives with her two grown-up daughters, is also known of the courage of Kala Prakash Jain an intense supporter of Telangana who stood up to the might of the state in late 1960s.

Life wasn’t that easy for this 35-year-old who lost her husband some nine years ago. However, Jameela’s life was devastated after the death of her husband Khajamiya; she was quick to recompose herself as she had to take care of her two daughters.

Thanks to the Postal department which didn’t take long to appoint Jameela as Extra Department Delivery Agent (EDDA) on compassionate grounds in the vacancy left by her husband.     

However, EDDA is not a permanent job, it’s considered a safe job as the employee can continue till her retirement age, it’s learnt.

Albeit occurrence of sending letters passé these days, people in towns like Garla are still dependent on postal services. Jameela sets out at 9 am and roams around in her designated area for door-to-door delivery of letters before she gets back to home by 1 pm. Initially, she struggled to deliver letters walking through the streets, but now she is able to pedal the bicycle.

It’s not the end of the day’s work for Jameela. Here where her second innings begins. She sells saris at home to supplement her salary – Rs 10,000 a month which she gets from the Postal department. Talking to The Hans India, Jameela said: “I have a daughter pursuing engineering in Khammam and the second one is doing diploma. I wanted to see them lead a respectable life and settle in good jobs. Due to poverty, I couldn’t continue my studies after SSC. This I don’t want to happen to my daughters, she said.

“Earlier, my salary was Rs 6,000 and it wasn’t enough to raise my children. Then I started to sell saris at home and now I am able earn around Rs 5,000 a month, she said. The need of the hour is to women like me is a change people’s perception. All that a woman commands is respect from people around,” she said.