My name is Tara, and I am the wife of Dharma Ram. Dharma Ram has contracted silicosis.I have My daughter is eldest and eight-year-old daughter and youngest is three-and-a-half-year-old son. How can I go to work and leave them alone? After the death of Dharma Ram’s father, his mother started working in the mines and also contracted silicosis. To support the family, my husband had to work in the mines too. He developed TB and silicosis and eventually became bedridden. I had to keep our eight-year-old daughter at home to take care of her brother while I went to work in the mines.I worked in the mines in the morning hours and return ed home at peak hours when the sun was overhead.I have been working in the mines for about 8-9 years now. I used to get medical treatment for my husband at home or sometimes by renting a vehicle to take him to the hospital. After his death, I had to take a loan of one lakh rupees to organize his last rites and ceremonies, borrowing from relatives. MLPC provided funds for my husband to open a shop, but it closed due to his inability to sit for long periods.

Now, I am facing difficulties. I can’t take my three-and-a-half-year-old son to the mines because of the harsh sun, and for the next two months, I won’t be able to work. I can’t keep my eight-year-old daughter at home anymore; she needs to go to school.