Dasmantpur: Seven-year-old girl Damuni has turned a babysitter to provide food to her octogenarian grandmother at Bagri Beda in Nandigaon panchayat of this block.
When Damuni was a year old, her mother left the family and married someone else after her husband’s death. Since then Dula Muduli, the grandmother of Damuni, was left alone with the child.
Gradually the grandmother started losing her sight and became sick with age. Their only income was Rs 500 per month the grannie got as pension from the government.
The villagers said the family has none to support them. Damuni works as a caregiver to neighbourhood children and gets some food as wages.
Everyday Damuni wakes up early in the morning and prepares food from finger millet for both of them and then leaves for a house in the neighbourhood where she takes care of their children. Meanwhile, some villagers help the old lady with her daily chores. The parents of the children provide food to her which Damuni and her grannie share at night.
Damuni also works in the field depending on their need, said her grandmother.
“I advise her to go to school. But she thinks I would be left alone if she goes to school and there would be none to help if something happens to me when she is at school,” said Dula.
The hapless grandmother is worried about the future of her grandchild as Damuni would be left alone after her death.
The problems of the little family multiplied when the wall of their thatched house collapsed during rains. Since then they have been staying on the veranda of their neighbour.
The villagers are demanding help from the government for the old woman and the minor girl.
PNN