Pinky Khatun of Jashpur town proudly flaunts her brand new smart phone that she has acquired a few days ago. She is a beneficiary of a ground-breaking initiative by the Chhattisgarh government.The Sanchar Kranti Yojana or SKY, as it is known, is an ambitious project taken up by the state government to increase the number of smart phone users as well as to improve mobile connectivity in the state. Pinky is one of the millions of women who have been covered by this scheme.
Pinky has been married for nine years and is a mother of three. Her eldest child is 8 years old while the second one is a 6-year-old. The age of the youngest child is just 2 years. Pinky’s husband is a paint contractor. Three years ago she started doing stitching work to earn some money on her own. “I started it so that I don’t have to ask my husband for money all the time. Another reason for starting that work was to keep myself occupied.” She says. She believes that the smart phone will help her excel in her work.
Pinky did not have the opportunity to study after 10th standard. But she believes in learning new things and expanding her horizon. She is well aware of the world that the internet can open up for her. The unlimited sources of information and knowledge that she can access through the internet and her smart phone excites her. She knows howto operate the smart phone but she never owned one until now. Her husband’s smart phone was the one she was familiar with though. Now she is happy that she will not have to be dependent on her husband’s phone anymore. “I used my husband’s smart phone but at the end of the day it is not mine. It does not stay with me all the time.” She says.
Now that Pinky has got a smart phone of her own, she has got a lot of plans that she excitedly speaks about. “I can share my designs and stitching patters on Whatsapp now. Thus I can connect to my clients in a more effective way. I can connect to more number of people in less time. Another great thing is that I can learn many new things about stitching from the internet. New designs new video tutorials will make me better in my work. That will also mean that I can earn more and can contribute to the well-being of my family and my children.” She says. But it is not just the professional use of the smart phone and internet that excites her. She feels that life’s little pleasures can also be enhanced by the smart phone.Capturing the memorable moments of her children with her phone in the form of photographs and videos while they grow up is something that she is going to enjoy. She wants to cherish that treasure for the rest of her life. “I want to capture all the sweet memories of the growing up process of my children.” Says Pinky.
