10/01/2026
Meet Jobbar Mama. He used to work in Viqarunnisa, my alma mater, until last year when he retired. He was struggling financially as he wasnât given any pension, and the one-time amount he was supposed to receive upon retirement was being delayed. I got to know about him through a well-wisher who worked in the administrative office of VNSC. They explained how Jobbar Mama worked for their little garden, which they had in their residential backyard. They couldnât pay them enough.
Jobbar Mama had lung and heart issues. With his medical condition, lack of support from his children, and an elderly wife, he was struggling to make ends meet. I am not exaggerating one bit. These were thoughts he shared on his own when he worked together in my garden that had the most brutal sun. Even I, with my impossible energy, struggled to breathe in the heatwave. I wondered how he was coping. The other guy we hired often told me to let him go. He said, âIf anything happened to Chacha, you wonât be able to help him. There is no hospital around for miles.â
Jobbar Mama worked for a week. He asked for money to buy groceries on the second day of his work. I wasnât in any position to help him, given that my clients' bills were due. Still, I gave him whatever I had. A few days later, he quit as his health got worse.
Recently, an organization reached out for a quotation for plants worth over 10k. Given my experience in the corporate sector, I ensure that quotations are immaculately presented and all communications are maintained via email. If I had a desk job and I were an employee, a simple quote typed on my laptop would not bother me. However, working in the field for 8 hours, doing physical labor, and then coming home to whip out my laptop and switch to my professional mode, creating quotes in spreadsheets, doing math with a brain that needs rest and a body that needs food: IS NOT EASY. I do not run a multi-million dollar business. I work with real people who depend on me. When we receive a high-paying project, I pay my workers generously. They do not even have to ask for it. I am wired that way. I am not a hoarder. After you place your order, I ask for payment upfront so that, if you donât follow up with the project later, my workersâ hard work does not go unpaid. I canât take risks cause I have a community involved in this. Motivational speeches do not feed their families. To ensure justice for my people, I even stay quiet when the client is clearly being misogynistic and condescending. I have gone to meetings in places I wouldnât go with a gun. Yet, I persevered.
So, about the organization, yes. Clearly, I explained the way I worked just to tell you that they did not get plants from us after a month of many untimely phone calls, emails exchanged, and planning. During each conversation, I listened carefully. When I found huge loopholes, and the organization said they would pay later as the budget was tight, I called a meeting with their team. Two minutes into the call, the man interrupted me as he had before and said he didnât have time. The call was 7 minutes. What upsets me the most is how the woman on the team did not address the evident disrespect. Well, that is just how the corporate world works, I guess.
My earnest request to corporations that are working with small businesses, please keep in mind that when you pull off BS like this, you are not just harming me. You are harming people like Jobbar Mama. Not me, not my mother, or your mom, but Jobbar Mama. Be kind. Be reasonable.
