A turnaround: how a woman overcomes adversity and finds purpose by developing a skill through Women’s Indian Association

After a succession of tragedies,  Devika G., found employment as a helper at  WIA creche on Greenways road, and rose to the role of teacher in time. Seizing an opportunity at  WIA to learn bio enzyme making from an expert, she augmented her income. She is now a bio enzyme evangelist, imparting the skill to people around her neighbourhood

Often times, right within the constricted and overpoweringly suffocating circumstances of one’s life, there would be doors of escape. When discovered and opened, these hidden doors provide fresh air, new vistas and purpose.  Devika G., has found those doors consistently and made good the possibilities they led into.

A resident of  Greenways Road, Devika has seen the Women’s Indian Association’s (WIA) facility located on the same road, at close quarters, right from the cradle. It has always been her second home. 

Her mother was on WIA’s payroll, serving as a helper at the WIA Creche. After an unexpected turn of events, really unexpected, Devika found herself joining that payroll. 

Here is what happened. At a young age, Devika was orphaned, losing both her parents. After  Devika’s mother passed on, her grandmother took up a helper’s role at WIA. Devika was just 16 years old when tragedy struck again. Her grandmother passed away: it was a rude jolt to a ship that just then seemed to have steadied and was sailing on an even keel. 

Now at 16, Devika was on her own, and added to that, had a younger brother to take care for. “There was no one else to earn for our family, so I took up my grandmother’s job at  WIA,” she recalls.

She worked as a helper for three years before the Administrative Officer at  WIA, Pandian, recognised her dedication and encouraged her to become a teacher. In 2004, she stepped into her new role as teacher of basic elements of education — the alphabet, rhymes and so on — at the crèche, where she now looks after around 50 children aged between two and five. In addition, she took up tailoring and also began making satthu maavu kanji — a nutritious porridge mix — that she supplies to hospitals and people around her neighbourhood.

“I have always wanted to learn new things. Even if something is difficult, I tell myself to give it a try, at least once. That is how I grew into this role and found my confidence,” she says. .