At age eight, Lokhi left her poverty-stricken village in the Sunderbans, and came to the bustling metropolitan of Delhi to begin her new life, as a full-time domestic worker.
Like the estimated 4.2 million – 10 million domestic workers currently working in India, Lokhi is not recognized as an actual worker protected by the law. After silently putting up with unregulated work conditions and mercurial employers for over a decade as a domestic worker, Lokhi didn’t think that her story was important.
As a tie-in to “Crossing the River of Life”, a documentary about the domestic workers in India, this book concentrates on the story of Lokhi. Through Lokhi’s story- her struggles, her relationships and her hopes- this book shatters the silence and exposes the dark reality of what it means to be a domestic worker in India.
To read a sample chapter from the book, click here.
To read the full book and support Lokhi, buy the book through Amazon.
“… an absolute must-read…”
“Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. It is an absolute must-read for every household that has ever hired a domestic help. This is not a book of despair, but of courage, creativity and hope. Mallika masterfully brings alive each character in a way that highlights surprising human behaviour amidst trials and tribulations. It’s both gripping and thought-provoking.”
Manoj Vasudevan
On July 13, 2019, we had the successful launch of the book “Lokhi & I” at the Meadowvale Community Center. Here are just some of the many highlights from the evening.
Thanks to the entire team, the volunteers and the guests who attended to made the lovely evening truly memorable.
This event was also featured on snapd.
