Women have many roles to play, a mother, a sister, a wife and many more roles in their life time. She has many dimensions for her personality. She has to step into many shoes at many points of her life. As there is a saying, if a girl in the family is educated, she knows how to keep her entire family educated. Women with her thoughts and actions can truly empower herself, her family and the society. There are many such women’s who have had and who will continue to change lives of many people through their endless empowerment.
My inspiration for today’s article comes not from any celebrity. She is someone as normal like us, who continues to inspire people around her. I have known her very closely and she is Padma Nandakumar. Hailing from a simple middle class background, Padma had always inclination towards art from childhood. She continued to hone her skills day by day, in creating various unique crafts like carving dry coconut, making clay models, creating lot many art works which could decorate many houses and which are extensively used in traditional Indian weeding.
After her marriage, Padma initially didn't get much chance to explore her skills. She was busy with her family life. There comes a day, where she decides to pursue her hobby to satisy her passion. In early 90’s there was no market available for her crafts to be salable at high prices. She struggled to make money, however her passion to achieve success kept her going. She started in a small scale. She started to build her network so she could supply her art work. She had her own share of struggle and one day she was able to hit the nail
Today she has more than 30 plus women working under her round the clock, 7 days a week. She supplies her art work to most part of Bangalore and Karnataka. She has created many customized versions of art which are truly impeccable. Her art work is unconventional and still she tries to work hard and finds a market for them, at the age of 64 she never rests. She thrives harder day by day to make significant contribution to her family and people around her. She has given bread and butter to many families. People talk about women empowerment, she have achieved it through her efforts. She has created jobs for many girls/women, who could support their families, many wives to run their home with a drunkard husband, many mothers to support their kids’ education. She has reached out to many downtrodden and poor people who hardly have any education. She has employed and provided life for many uneducated women. She provided hope for many women to stand on their own legs, even though they were not educated. They could still lead a decent life by learning skills thought by Padma.
People like Padma, continues to mark a difference in the society. We must really appreciate her commendable strength, where she could dream a hope for herself empowering many women around her. She proved that no skills in life can go in vain; it’s all in your hands to polish it and utilize it in a right way.
