BRAVO BEERBATI

Bravo  Beerbati

By R Kesava Mallia, in Sohna

Beerbati  was dumbstuck at the death of her husband… nevertheless, it was  Westin Sohna  Resort and Spa  that gave her life; and  also a new meaning to her life. This resort is known for it's community development  and has set an example to emulate, by providing jobs to people living in the vicinity.. The touch, presence and comfort provided by this Resort to the villagers around is worth applauding.

Westin Sohna Resort and Spa  is located on the outskirts of the town of Sohna, a close- knit village town connected to the satellite city of Gurgaon with a predominant rural population of 27,571. Surrounded by villages, the bulk of men and women here are employed in two primary professions- Farming and Stone mining.

Among the scores employed at The Westin Sohna in departments such as Gardening, Engineering and Housekeeping, one success story that stands out is that of  Beerbati (32) who has been working in the House Keeping department and is solely responsible for the upkeep and cleanliness of The Heavenly Spa by Westin Sohna Resort and Spa.

Beerbati lives with her mother-in-law and three children-Deepti(15) Ravi(13) and Bhavana(09).She joined Westin Sohna in April 2012 as a SPA attendant. Thereafter, life has been flowing like a river for her …..silently….effortlessly…

“Beerbati” says Monica Suri, The Manager, Westin Sohna Resort and Spa, “is a great asset to our resort. She is very cheerful, hardworking and always smiling”.

Beerbati has had a highly troubled past and was unfortunate to lose her husband to diabetes after 3 years of very costly treatment. Following this tragedy Beerbati became the sole bread winner for her family. Besides having to deal with such an irreparable personal loss, Beerbati had to take on the world head on. The only thing her husband left behind for her was a patch of land just big enough to grow some vegetables and grain on, enough for a mere hand-to-mouth existence.

Beerbati, however,  decided to not let fate get in the way and took control of things,in an  attempt to give herself and her children a better life.In spite of hailing from a rural background and possessing minimal to no skills, Beerbati acquired effective housekeeping skills on the job at the resort, making her an indispensable asset.

Because of this undying spirit, Beerbati is now able to send all 3 of her children to school .Before the Sun is up she reports for duty at 7 AM and shall log out at 06 PM in the evening. She thoroughly enjoys her job.

“She is very sincere, hardworking and dedicated” says Bandana, the Heavenly SPA Manager. While Shilpi Sharma, Asst. Training Manager opined that Beerbati is a consistent performer. Believe it or not, though not educated, Beerbati is known for her guest centric attitudes and positive frame of mind at work.

Westin Sohna  Resort and Spa, well known for it's sense of care for the community,  has further contributed to raising the employment level in Sohna and improving farming skills for some of the locals by leasing out  the land and starting a nursery project.

 The Resort Gardening Supervisor  Mohar Singh works very closely with ex-mining workers to sow and reap a good harvest of vegetables as part of the nursery project . Fresh vegetables such as lady finger, baby corn, radish, lettuce, zucchini, papaya, carrots and coriander. Needless to say, that our Chefs at the resort are more than thrilled to have some farm fresh vegetable  delivered to them every morning

The local community too has reciprocated and welcomed this kind act of the Westin Sohna team.

With inputs from local villagers, this Resort has initiated a local village tour for the  guests to give them a taste of the rural life that these simpletons live. Tourists are taken on  a tour of the nursery, where they see vegetables and flowers grown in the most organic way. They cherish the memories of their interactions and visit to the local villagers’ homes who happen to  be family members of associates working at The Westin Sohna Resort . They get to experience local life style, enjoy local delicacies with the villagers, try their hand at making chapatti (local Indian bread), and help in plantations at the nursery. 

Beerbati is not alone; there are many success stories which has been scripted by the good souls working in Westin Sohna. May their tribe increase in abundance.  

14 June 2014