Watch: This story of Jameela, 61, will leave you teary-eyed
Like many women in Okhla, 61-year-old Jameela Khatoon is not so lucky and even at this age she has to get up early in the morning to start work at her eatery in Zakir Nagar.
She works from 7 am to 11 pm every day so that she could earn her livelihood and take care of her ailing husband and marry her one daughter. She said she has been struggling for the last seven months in post pandemic.
“The business is down and I have two sons and three daughters…husband very old. Both sons are married and I have to marry a daughter,” she told the OT from her eatery in Zakir Nagar named Lazzat popular as Amma Ka Dhaba.
When asked how she got this rented restaurant, she said six months ago the owner handed over the eatery to her where she used to work in his house.
Since then she has been trying her level best to earn her livelihood after giving the rent with great difficulties. She said the business is down and she hasn’t got enough money to hire more hands to help her.
Some residents moved by her story said the only way that local residents can help her is to visit her eatery and relish home-made food.
A food lover Md Nadeem said he visits the Amma ka dhaba regularly to eat home-made food. “I respect her for her hard work. She is 60+ and runs her eatery single handedly,” he said.
Originally from Dadri, she said she came to the locality when she was teen and started working to support her family. She has been working for years, she said.
The OT view: Jameela Khatoon is a role model. Unlike many who start begging when in dire straits, Khatoon has set an example and shown courage to take a plunge into food business. We should salute her. As she is struggling, the only thing that the residents can do is to visit her hotel in Zakir Nagar and buy food.
OUTLET LOCATION: Main road Zakir Nagar dhallan. Landmark: Transformer
