Some residents of Sarothi. Telegraph picture

Jorhat, July 13: A few women here have got together to open Upper Assam’s first home for underprivileged and old women of all communities and religions.

Started under the banner of Islamic Women Welfare Association, the home, Sarothi, is currently functioning from a rented house on the eastern outskirts of the town.

The three inmates have found succour in this home till date — Zarina Begum, who was barely scraping through life at her house near the civil hospital after both her sons, aged 22 and 18, passed away in quick succession; Laila Rahman of Amguri in neighbouring Sivasagar district, who was living alone after her husband’s death, and young Sakhina Begum of Sengeli Sootiya Gaon, Soongi, whose family is too impoverished to take care of her and her physically challenged brother.

Mallika Rahman, secretary of the association and a teacher of Teok Girls’ Higher Secondary School, said soon after the home started on June 25, Sakhina was admitted to an institute to undergo nursing training. “Sarothi will soon need a nurse and Sakhina who is young and able can take care of the others after being trained. In the meantime, she can practise on Zarina who is weak and needs care,” Rahman said.

The others, too, are being given some work like stitching falls on sarees and other needlework to earn some money. The association’s president, Arifa Zaman, who is also a Jorhat municipal ward commissioner, said the idea of setting up the home materialised after a discussion with Rahman, in which she said she wanted to be worthy of the innumerable gamosas that she was given at different functions. “I said the gamosas being given to me as a token of appreciation should be given for a worthwhile cause and it was then that we thought of this project.”

The Islamic Women Welfare Association was formed on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) last year and was registered as an NGO in March this year.

Within a short span they rented a house, advertised for inmates, were donated a two-katha plot at Lichubari by Zakir-ul Hussain, a resident of Nazira in Sivasagar district, and submitted a plan for a three-storey building to the PWD for sanction.

Jorjina Ara Begum, a retired teacher of Oil India Limited Higher Secondary School and vice-president of the Association, said the permanent home at Lichubari would be divided into two slabs, one for the affluent and the other for the destitute.

“At present, it is often seen that a woman becomes very lonely after her husband dies. She might not like to shift to a distant place where her children reside but living alone is also not possible, especially if she is old. For women like these who can afford it, there will be rooms with all the amenities. Those who cannot afford it, will be offered shelter free of cost,” she said.

“A woman whose son lives abroad has already approached us for a room but we do not know when the permanent structure will come up and we can provide the facilities as this will entail some cost,” Jorjina added.

Gulena Rahman, adviser to the association, said Jorhat MLA Rana Goswami had assured them of giving some aid for the construction once the plan was sanctioned.

Majoni Neog, assistant secretary of the association, travels about 12km everyday from Baligaon to the home to assist in marketing and other activities, while Pinky Das, who runs a preparatory school nearby and Lakhi Hazarikia, a teacher of the school, also pitch in after school hours.