Guard Bimla (she goes by single name) now aged 53 years was employed by the N block Welfare Association on a trial basis. Ever since then there has been no looking back, she has, undoubtedly, proved to be our best guard.
Born in Gokul, Mahaban, Bimla has studied only till grade 5 in a government school. She got married at the age of 14 and became a mother at 17 years of age. She gave birth to four boys. She lost one of them, now has 3 living children and 7 grandchildren. Her husband is a curtain maker who she fondly refers to as “budda”.
Before becoming a guard, she dabbled in a few other carriers. She worked as a nurses’ aid in Batra hospital for a year. Subsequently, she started to sell vegetables, procured from Okhla mandi, at a small shop in Khanpur. She also tried selling cosmetics for a few months.
Soon after being employed by the N block Welfare Association in 2015, she began to show her mettle.
It is amazing how this almost illiterate woman understood her responsibilities and delivered results. The N block has 11 gates, she gets posted to the gate where there is trouble and she surely is our trouble shooter.
She manages the entry and exit very efficiently at the gate she is posted. No unauthorized vehicle can enter when she is on duty. She manages to get vehicle owners to repair/pay for the damages they cause to public property.
She manages the Happy Fridge at gate 5 (whenever posted there) keeping it spanking clean and distributing food to the needy. Happy Fridge was gifted to the N block Welfare Association by a NGO, Feeding India. People of our block deposit left over clean food at the Happy Fridge which is then distributed to the needy.
For small get togethers she happily serves us coffee and snacks. For the bigger functions we use her services to restrict the entry of unauthorized/uninvited people.
When our gardener is on leave, she tends to our park like a mother, to keep it green. She is our (WO)MAN FRIDAY!
by Dr Reeta Mahesh (N block)
