“Hello! Feeling tired of the long journey? Would you like to buy some farm fresh organic guavas? It’s a great way to beat tiredness. 1Kg of guavas only cost 35 Rupees.

I have been selling seasonal fruits for the past six months here on the Chevella highway. Though mine is a small stall, the business is good. I walk almost 7 km every day to get these fruits but the hard work has its rewards.

I always wanted to be independent in life since childhood but you know how it is in small towns, the primary focus of the parents back then was having their daughters married off. However, even at the time, I knew that it was the way things were done so I never resisted, despite wanting to pursue my education.

My husband used to work as a Welder in the village. Life went on well and eventually, we had two kids. My family was supportive enough, but due to some wrong decisions, I could not succeed in business earlier. Moreover, things went down south when the pandemic struck the country. We suffered major losses due to the total shutdown of my husband’s workplace. That’s when we have decided to try our luck in farming. We rented land here at Chevella for a year and invested in the fruits business. We grow seasonal fruits and sell them to the people who commute on the highway.

My son is pursuing his Intermediate education and my younger daughter is in class 8. I am glad that we are able to educate both of them in good schools and today they are doing well in their academics. Most importantly, I have a supportive husband and I guess I’m fortunate that way, and it’s helped me guide them through their studies as well.

One thing that’s difficult to understand is that despite being equally skilled, families rarely expect the women of the family to work or start their own business after marriage. This should change.”