Rita akka's life is going to the dogs (and cats)!
Her mornings go in clearing garbage in Kotturpuram’s streets for Chennai Corporation, but Rita akka, a physically challenged contract worker, spends her evenings feeding and talking to her canine companions. 1/n
Her mornings go in clearing garbage in Kotturpuram’s streets for Chennai Corporation, but Rita akka, a physically challenged contract worker, spends her evenings feeding and talking to her canine companions. 1/n
Everything about Rita akka is a demonstration of what life strives to teach us – that it has a purpose. Rita cannot hear or speak, is a widow. Her daughter, aged 17 has left home to be with her grandmother. The 42yo has loneliness writ large on her life, but won’t surrender to it
Rita akka loosely translates to elder sister. However, some call her oomachi, a derogatory term for those with speaking disabilities – wakes up and diligently goes about her garbage collection job. Sometimes though, she does complain of physical pain at the end of a hard day.
You can see her commitment to the job on the sides of the peculiar cycle-rickshaw trolley she pushes around to carry the waste. Rita has scribbled her name across it thrice – in different colours.
At the end of the day, she goes back to her small, lonely home at the housing board quarters in the city’s Kotturpuram locality. Yet, in between, she has discovered her own purpose in life.
After her work and before burying herself in the dinginess of her home, Rita surrounds herself with stray dogs and cats, and spends a great deal of time feeding and talking to them. Every evening, the dogs wait patiently for Rita to finish her work and come to them.
Rita sweeps and cleans at least six huge streets of Kotturpuram, using bleaching powder, a broom and a garbage bucket. About 7 years ago, she joined the Chennai Corporation as a contract labourer. Starting with barely Rs. 100 a day, she now earns Rs. 8,000 per month.
A significant part of her earnings goes on buying food for the dogs and cats. Neighbours believe she spends about Rs. 30 a day on them, though she herself will say nothing about it. The happiness she derives from being with her companions far outweighs the expenses.
Rita's two daily stopovers before her tryst with the animals are at a small shop to buy biscuits for the dogs, and a meat stall to buy chicken remains for the cats.
Her husband passed away years ago – Rita either does not remember when or does not wish to talk about it – and since then, she’s almost always been on her own. Neighbours, though, say he was an alcoholic. Her daughter does visit her, but not often.
Still, Rita’s demeanour remains cheerful – and her smiles are brightest when she’s among her dogs.
