Keonjhar: Her day starts with preparing tiffin and selling it at Thana Chhak of Keonjhar. Crowd throngs her pushcart tiffin shop to have breakfast with hot puri, alu dam, ghuguni, dahibara and upama.
This middle-aged woman has been carrying on the small business for 14 years. Many local people love to eat tiffin from her shop.
Kirti Chawada, a widow and mother of two girls, lives in Buladar Sahi in Keonjhar town. “I struggle to raise my two daughters and educate them. With whatever earnings I make from my shop, I have become self-sufficient and manage to deal with daily challenges,” she said.
Life was well until her husband lived before 14 years ago. The world turned topsy-turvy when she was all alone to defend herself and two minor daughters. The bigger challenge was her younger daughter who was mentally-challenged.
Initially, she was helpless and broken hearted after death of her husband. However, she mustered courage and ventured out of her rented accommodation.
She started her business of breakfast tiffin, which gradually picked up over the years. Tiffin prepared by her became popular. Customers grew in numbers for the breakfast tiffin.
The earnings Kirti makes from this tiffin business have helped her bring up her child apart from paying her house rent.
Kirti is now relieved after her elder daughter, Manni Chawda, completed her graduation and prepared to look for a job. But what worries Kirti is that her younger daughter is not been able to do studies due to her mental disability.
Manni voiced her gratefulness to her mother. “My mother is all for me. Whatever education I have received is due to my mother. I will remove all worries of my mother after doing a job,” said Manni with a resolution. PNN