Kannama is no different from her neighbours yet she typifies best the enterprise of women of our age. The change in social fabric and the role of woman from being homebound to contributing to the family kitty is now an accepted fact. But that’s still not the case in the rural hinterland where women’s career aspirations are subsumed to taking care of the household.
Kannama’s education did not go beyond X standard and at 18 married to her maternal cousin, an insurance agent. The house in which they reside was bequeathed to them by his father and apart from that they just about managed from what little he earned by way of commissions. As the years rolled by, two lovely kids completed the family album stretching the family budget further and it was beginning to hurt.
Kannama had lot of free time after Murali went on his rounds and a customary visit to the temple; she only had her children for company and watching the inane soaps on television, only pastime occupation.
One day, her 5 year old daughter Minu badgered for a Diary Milk chocolate and she did not have the dough for it was month end. The baby cried her heart out and literally sat on the doorstep of the shop without budging. The shopkeeper was a familiar face and he handed over the chocolate despite protestations from the mother.
“Lady, pay me later or take it as my gift to the little angel”, he said.
For Kannama that was the turning point and she felt so ashamed that she could not afford a baby’s fancy. She resolved to work and that started her journey in finding a suitable occupation.
Her school friend was a marketing executive in a finance company and who was reckoned a local expert when it came to investments and savings.
Kanamma told her,” Ratna, I need to earn and it’s beginning to hurt as I have two children now. I waste the whole afternoon watching those damn serials and is there anything productive I can do without taking up a regular job?
Thus started her foray into online trading. Ratna loaned her a computer and Murali had faith in her to partake with Rs.50,000 as seed money.
That got her started and now she makes Rs.500 a day and kids no longer need to tear their hearts for candies. Now Kannama has over 100 clients – local shopkeepers, neighbours, retired people- and she is their investment consultant.
That’s how globalization came to this remote village in Tamilnadu. Sheer enterprise and self-learning has taken this doughty lady thus far.
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