“The opportunity to run a mobile tea stall came my way out of sheer luck after several unsuccessful dabbles in the world of business. You see, without an education the responsibility to take care of four siblings felt like a mountain’s weight on top of my head. So taking it easy or relaxing was never an option. I began working from the age of twelve, helping my mom to sell tamarinds back in the day. Though it was a very small activity, I had to be hands-on to ensure my family was able to afford its supper that night.
From there, my teens and a large portion of my twenties flew by in trying out different avenues in the hopes of making it big somehow. With a firm belief that all it takes is one right decision to steer an entire family towards progress, I did everything from selling groceries to daily essentials to so much more. But as fate would have it, none of those endeavours clicked and I was at a rather low phase in life subsequently before setting foot into the world of tea-selling.
It might seem rather simple to outsiders but the truth was that I was able to rake in sufficient profits only in this venture. From there, things took a turn for the better, when a mentor was experimenting with creating mobile vehicles for special-needs individuals. From just an idea, suddenly I saw myself spending around Rs 85000, a significant portion of my lifetime savings just to get the vehicle and up my selling.
And thank god I took the risk, for it’s been rewarding ever since. So many people have been fascinated by this concept and come in curious just for that. Plus, this slight edge got me featured in so many magazines and television as well.
Now, of course, the pandemic was a major roadblock, putting me back again in huge debt but I’m thankful to god today for giving me the means to earn it all back. Things could’ve been way worse, but I’m in a position where I’ve been able to carve a niche in my fight for survival.
What I dream of in the days to come are just two things- one is to see both my girls as successful lawyers and second is to set up an actual tea shop! A movable stall is amazing, but the feeling of owning my own place and setting up a shop there has been my life’s goal! And let’s hope that in the days to come, I work hard enough to achieve this goal.”
#streetfood #chennai #Tea #life #survival #supportlocalbusiness #motivation #humansofmadras