One Grandson, One World: Gulabben’s Journey of Hope and Holding On

In the far corner of Motikhervan, where the monsoon grass sways and dust dances on the breeze, Gamit Gulabben, a widow of forty-two, wakes each morning in a house whose walls remember every hardship she’s ever faced. Her world is small and gentle—just herself and her four-year-old grandson, a boy whose laughter brings warmth to days that might otherwise feel silent.

Gulabben’s education ended before childhood was finished, but her lessons in endurance have lasted a lifetime. Now, her hands move through each day with patience: cleaning, tending, and preparing her grandson for his morning at ICDS, watching him disappear beyond the doorway with a bag on his back and a soft goodbye. She has always worked hard, but these days, going out for labor is nearly impossible. She cannot leave the child alone, and her heart will not let her.

The house she owns is more a shelter than a home, with crumbling walls and no proper toilet. Rain sometimes seeps in, and the nights can be cold, but the promise of safety, however fragile, keeps her anchored. Her livelihood now comes mostly from the earth itself. Gulabben dreams of selling vegetables—maybe one day a lorry of her own, so she can earn without leaving her grandson behind. She imagines self-employment, making pickles or papad, hoping for the kind of training that would let her build something new, with dignity.

Most months, her widow pension is the only steady support, just enough to get by but never quite enough for what her heart wants to offer her grandson. She hopes for help, but no one comes. She has not yet been able to benefit from government schemes or secure the rights to her land. The biggest wish is simple: to see her grandson’s education secured, to give him a path she could never walk herself.

There are many needs—help with the house, a proper toilet, a little money to invest in vegetables or small trade, a steady supply of water. Yet Gulabben’s spirit is quiet and strong. She stays home, keeping the small world she’s been given safe and clean, holding close the hope that things might get better for the child who calls her “dadi.”

At Single Mother Foundation, we stand beside women like Gulabben, whose every day is an act of courage and love, even when the world is quiet to their struggles. We believe that change is born from real, personal support—when the right to livelihood, education, and dignity flows directly to those who need it most. Every story we share is a step toward a world where women can build safety, pride, and future for their families. If Gulabben’s journey moves you and you wish to be part of her circle of support, write to connect@singlemotherfoundation.org.

Brought to you by Nishant Joshi, who believes that stories like Gulabben’s have the power to plant hope wherever it is needed most.