IRON GRIT STORY of the IRONMAN

Once an American author, Napoleon Hill said, “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way”. While remembering his words we came across a man who resembles that of the small contributions he made to change the life of people around him. The Ironman, as we decided to call him, not only for the profession he was in but also for the sheer iron grit exhibited by him to overcome extreme odds and lead an exemplary life of a true Indian. Yes, we are talking about Mr. Kaif Khan who hails from Subhashgram, living in a nondescript locality called Rajpur in the Indian State of West Bengal. Since birth, he has not left his small village where he still lives with his mother, elder brother, younger sister, his wife and three sons (6 to 9 years of age). 

At his teens, he had to abandon his studies due to the paralysis of his father. The responsibility of being the only 'bread earner' fell upon him - a daunting task for a 17-year-old kid. His belief in his ability to survive and earn led him to become an apprentice at a local laundry where he learned to iron clothes. He had to abandon his curricular at Mulickpur High School due to his inability to afford an education in the face of poverty. Kaif dreamt to be a driver, zipping around in cars and one day owning his own taxi. Fate was not in agreement. He labored day and night at the laundry, under coal-fired ovens - inhaling smoke, chocking at it but determined to earn a living for his family.  A decade passed. Kaif, now a young man of 27 years, accepted his life but always knew of the hazards of inhaling coal smog 16 hours a day. Kaif today has a family of his own, children and a loving wife. 

Finally, fate smiled on Kaif - rewarding him for his patience and faith. He was taken in by CREDO a non-profit Charitable Trust where he was trained to use an eco-friendly electric Automatic Steam iron  at their Kolkata garments incubation center - moving him away from the hazards of the toxic coal-fired Ironing life. He joined on 18^th June 2019 and he is loving his work at CREDO. Now he has a stable job with CREDO. He has respite from his earlier life at the air-conditioned CREDO IC-SURE garments incubation center. Kaif's life has changed. A structured job has taught him not only the art of modern ironing but also to be punctual and disciplined. Moreover, he has become an important stakeholder in the assembly line in the process of making shirts for men at CREDO. IC-SURE by CREDO is basically a training cum tailoring unit for garments that produce high quality branded shirts for men in formal and casual orientation. Kaif is an important contributor in Quality Control as his acute concentration during the final finishing process, ironing ensures that each CREDO shirt for men goes through a rigorous inspection before packing. 

The Ironman’s life was going on smoothly but fate had a harsh chapter awaiting. On the fateful afternoon of 15th August 2019, his wife got burnt while cooking on kerosene fired home oven - a domestic accident while Kaif was at work. 35% of her body got burnt when she was cooking food for her family in the oil stove. She was immediately rushed to Bangur hospital and admitted to the burns unit. CREDO assisted Kaif by sponsoring the expensive treatment required. She started to recover, slowly but steadily. During the month-long hospitalization, the Ironman was unstoppable in his dedication to his work, so much so, that he used to work at the CREDO Incubation Centre whenever he could make time between caring for his ailing wife and fending for his family, in her absence. The Ironman got financial support from the IC-SURE a team in overcoming the hurdles faced by him and his wife.

Ironman’s story is a tale of strength overcoming all odds in life and striving to be a model citizen. IRONMAN exudes faith, struggle, and victory over circumstances - the iron will of a youngster to earn an honest bread. But can the thousands of IRONMEN working around the dark furnaces of coal-fired laundry services have a chance to survive long? How much of the tar and smog can their lungs accept before they succumb to life-threatening ailments? How will Kaif survive if his lungs and body give in!  

Background of the charcoal iron:

Do you know what a coal Iron is or how it functions? Do we care enough to learn the hazards IRONMEN takes to ensure the crisp shirts and dresses we wear? Well, a coal iron is created by the smelting of iron ore with charcoal. It was invented in 15^th century China. Way back, during 1st century BC, the process of ironing was based on using metal pans filled with hot charcoal. Can you believe the fact that Archaeologists have discovered paintings in which it is depicted the process of ironing by women using superheated coal filled pans! The Iron’s forte is in smoothening of clothes for a good feel to wear them. 

The iron consisted of a single body with a lid that could be easily moved attached to the rear on an angle to be opened and closed thus, transmitting the heat necessary for ironing as a result of placing coal in it. At the top, it has a wooden handle that is served to prevent the burning of the ironing hand. The resultant burning coal smog and tar is a major health hazard for the ironmen leading up to cancer and other respiratory diseases.

The Art of Ironing:

Modern Steam Iron which is used in the Incubation Centre by CREDO is from the company 'Messer' operating at 1000 volt. This is a precision-made iron that helps in ironing the shirts formen in a unique way without much of the hard work nor the health hazards which were required in the previous days. First of all the collar is on the priority list. The collar is pressed through the steam iron and then a hard paper - cut to the collar size, is inserted inside so that the collar remains stiff and captures its position. The paper is later removed and then a transparent collar band is inserted. While ironing the ARM portion of the CREDO shirts for men, a water spray is used followed by light ironing. Next, the body section of the CREDO shirts for men is executed which follows the same procedure to that of spraying water and then ironing and concluding it by folding the CREDO shirts for men and bringing the shirts to the buyers in such a way that it gets eye seeking attention. 

The role of Ironman is indeed praiseworthy and we somehow tend to forget the micro contributions which ultimately creates the image of a praiseworthy CREDO shirt for men. Kaif Khan is a good learner and a dedicated family man. He stands up for all that is good and humble while CREDO helped him to earn at will while serving society.