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Working Women’s Hostel

Working Women’s Hostel

 Established: 1974

With the progress in the socio-economic fabric of India, more and more women are leaving their homes in search of employment in big cities. One of the main difficulties faced by women is the lack of safe and conveniently located accommodation.The GOS Working Women’s Hostel was established almost 50 years ago for young women from underprivileged backgrounds, (from out of town) who started arriving in Chennai, from smaller towns to take up jobs.

The Hostel aims at creating a home like environment for its residents and encourages communal amity between the residents. The hostel admits working women who may be single, widowed, separated or married but whose families do not reside in Chennai. The accommodation provided is either dormitory or double/ triple room sharing.

The monthly charges include boarding and lodging and are extremely nominal. All three meals are provided and lunch is packed and given to the residents to take to their offices. Festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm and special food is provided. The Hostel is centrally located in Chennai at Egmore. We strive to provide all the requirements of our residents and ensure they have a safe and secure environment.

P.J. Nandhini joined the Guild of Service Working Women’s Hostel in November 2021. Having never experienced hostel life before, she was extremely homesick. Unfortunately, she fell ill just a few days after joining. She says, “the warden and the other staff took excellent care of me, and they barely knew me then since I was new. They ensured I ate properly and took my medication on time. Over time, the hostel has become a second home for me. The staff here are genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of all the residents. The food they prepare must be made with love since it tastes so homely.  When the Omicron variant of COVID was at its peak, we were given herbal medicines (kashayam) to keep us healthy. To keep the virus at bay, the staff cleaned all rooms and hallways with disinfectant daily. I don’t know if any other hostel takes such genuine efforts to take care of all the residents. Even the watchmen despite spending the day in the scorching heat of Chennai  always smile and welcome us back every evening. Thank you for offering me a home here”.

 

Hemalatha works at the Postmaster General’s office in Chennai. She was promoted and transferred from Thanjavur to Chennai and joined the Hostel in January 2020.

 

She says, “I was new to Chennai city and didn’t have any experience of staying in a hostel. I was scared as I was residing away from home and wondered how I will get along with complete strangers. However as soon as I joined GOS Working Women’s Hostel I felt comfortable and safe. Since it is in the heart of the city, I can easily travel to my workplace. During COVID lockdown when there was no transport available, I used to comfortably walk to office. When I go home, it is convenient to go the railway station too which is close by.

 

Food provided in this hostel is prepared hygienically and tastes homely and hence we don’t have the feelings of missing our home. The cleanliness and maintenance of this hostel is very good and special care was taken during peak COVID time which made us feel safe. Most importantly, the Hostel gave shelter to us during the peak period of Covid during which all other hostels were closed”.

Our Address

18 Casa Major Road,

Egmore,

Chennai – 600 008

Email id:- goscentral@yahoo.in

Phone no: 044 – 2819 2029

Name of the Unit
GOS WORKING WOMEN’S HOSTEL
Year of Establishment
1974
Total strength
33 students