"S" on film....(edited to add translation)

"S" is my household help, and has been coming to our house for the last 25 years(and counting). I have written several blogposts dedicated to her "life and times" so to speak, and many readers of my blog Gappa even ask about her.

Recently, I had an opportunity to film her, thanks to an overenthusiastic photographer daughter, and I also recorded what she had to say about her life.

 In honor of Womens' Day, March 8, 2012, there is a short film competition, on our campus,  and  this,  my maiden effort at making a film :-) ,  was my entry in the category of Women's Empowerment.

I am not sure it can be even called a film as such. I just find it unbelievable that it got done at all. Given the fact that I was unable to upload it from where I stay behind firewalls of the e-type. However, the Internet came to my rescue , and I was able to transfer this huge file to my son, via a site, who told him to download it from an address, and he uploaded it on YouTube for me.

Things have come full circle..... as I download it and upload it on this blog post.

( Although like me, a resident of an educational campus, my son, does not live behind firewalls. I guess we are like that only .....)

(Translation from marathi, scrolls independently horizontally below video. Click arrow on video as soon as it loads completely to roughly sync with the translation. On occasions, translation may carry on beyond video. I apologize, but sometimes technology defeats me.)

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................I was 14 years old , and my parents got me married . I was from a rural area, didn't know how to adjust in urban environs, and the husband was a heavy drinker.By the time I was 21, I had 4 children, and hardly any support from the husband.I was collecting cow dung, selling it by the basket, and supporting the kids on the meagre earnings. He even opposed that. He would drive us out of the house,lock the door and go away. I couldn't stand that, we would break the lock somehow and get inside. My father realized all this,and said " Enough. You need to leave this and return home; " . He took me and my four small children back home with him. He NEVER ever said, "once she is married, she is DEAD to us" .The children went to the local school.Today, my children have studied till Class X. I worked houses, saved in chit funds, took loans and with the help of my brothers,got my own tenement.Today my 3 sons and I go off to our daily work from there. My daughter,got married, but was cheated, the fellow was a fraud, and I brought her back home & stand firmly behind her. She works,and now I, my three sons, three daughters-in-law, 4 grandsons and 1 daughter, live together in my little house.My eldest daughter-in-law,a XIIth class pass, did a computer course, a library assistant's course, and works. Today, my father is no more. I handle my own work,and visit offices and courts, and sign with my thumbprint. I am illiterate, but I want my children to study, my grandchildren to get good education. My sons' offices have computers, my daughter-in-law works in a office with computers, and my employers have computers at home. I've learned that one find lots of useful information on computers. When my 2nd daughter-in-law was pregnant, there was some confusion about an eclipse. I decided not to listen to assorted ladies and neighbors hearsay, and called up my Ma'am and asked her to ask the computer ! She found out and told me the timings , and we were able to figure out our movements for the day. See, I never went to school. But i dearly wish that grandsons can get good education, and that he should go to a good school and become well educated. You know, I have four grandsons. My only remaining wish is that I may soon have a granddaughter !