Still offering a helping hand

By GEOFFREY BEW

A SOCIAL worker who dedicated 30 years of her life in Bahrain to help people in distress is planning to carry on the same work as she returns home to her native India next week. Salma Bala and her husband Anand, who moved to the island in 1979, are flying home to Hyderabad to spend more time with their families.

Mrs Bala is known for

creating the ‘Helping Hands’ movement, which comes to the aid of people left homeless after blaze tragedies and supplies warm clothes, blankets and other items to labour camps.

Mrs Bala has also been a prominent member of the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) and has managed to talk several people out of suicide bids after receiving calls in the middle of the night.

Her work has led to her being worshipped by people of all nationalities and was once described as Bahrain’s Mother Teresa.

But the retired lawyer said her role as the champion of the underprivileged came more by accident than design.

Mrs Bala first got involved in voluntary service after she read reports in the GDN about some sponsors withholding salaries and mistreating their workers.

She stepped in and encouraged her friends to help, which later led to the founding of Helping Hands.

“I started helping out people after I heard that salaries were not paid for four to five months and cold stores stopped giving credit to workers,” said Mrs Bala.

“I spread the word around to my friends and we collected some money and gave it to them and that is how we gelled.”

Mrs Bala said her background as a lawyer also gave her the power to challenge unscrupulous sponsors when she was approached for help.

However, she says Bahrain has made dramatic progress in its human rights record and closing the gap between the rich and poor since she first arrived.

Mrs Bala also praised the creation of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) to help eliminate the sponsorship system and the notion that expatriate workers are the “property” of their employers.

She urged the authorities to encourage a strong work ethic among youngsters and continue to eliminate injustice and oppression.

“The people here do work hard and they are capable of doing it,” said Mrs Bala.

“They can really help to put Bahrain on the world map.”

Despite dedicating much of her life to helping others during the last three decades, the 79-year-old is not ready to relax when she returns home.

“I won’t stop,” she said.

“My life is helping people.

“There is more work to be done in India like what I have been doing here. I won’t stop until my last breath, whatever I can do for others I will.

“I will miss Bahrain very much.”