Entrepreneurship is guiding light for this visually-impaired Kerala woman

All she could decipher was the presence of light.
Entrepreneurship is guiding light for this visually-impaired Kerala woman

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When Geetha Saleesh was just 13, her eyesight started failing. Over time, her vision diminished and she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder. And by 15 she became visually impaired. All she could decipher was the presence of light. “I can feel it when light is switched on, that’s all,” says Ottappalam native.

But, she never let that affect her self-esteem. At 39, Geetha sells homemade pickles, spices, and food products under her own brand ‘Geetha’s Home to Home’. Her signature product is the Curcu Meal which she calls a ‘super food’. She was in the city featuring her products at the Kerala Agro Food Pro at the Police Parade Ground in Thycaud.

Geetha launched the brand along with her husband during the pandemic. A graduate in BA politics, Geetha’s focus was landing a job. “The pandemic changed everything. It occurred to me that I should launch my own brand now. I thought of starting off with what I could make, like pickles and other homemade products,” Geetha says. He husband Saleesh Kumar P S helps her in her work.

The most sought-after product is the ‘super food’ which is their improvised version of ‘manjal (turmeric) varakiyathu’. A blend of turmeric, dates, almond, coconut milk and jaggery the Curcu Meal was developed after years of research, she said. “We worked on it for three years, to reach the right consistency and proportions. The manjal varakiyathu is normally given to women after childbirth. We improvised on it and created something that is healthy and encompasses the goodness of turmeric,” Geetha says. 

Geetha’s homemade wonders now have takers across the country, with orders pouring in even from Kashmir.

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