“No. I don’t consider myself disabled. I work 24X7 and there is nothing that I can’t do. You need spirit, more than anything else, to do any work,” said Sudarshana Kumari, 51, from Rait in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

A higher secondary-passed woman from poor background, Sudarshana has a burnt hand (65 per cent disability) and has been in news locally for making pine-needle ‘rakhis’ this Raksha Bandhan.

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The colourful, creative and handmade ‘Rakhis’ that she quickly tried in July month (after someone gave her the idea) sold like hot cakes, as she got orders from other parts of the country fast, when she displayed them on her facebook page.

While this has been a fit example for the Prime Minister’s ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, this is just one aspect of her initiative.Her indomitable urge to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty with continuous hard work and struggle over the last two decades is an inspiration for many.

Sudarshana, who got her left hand burnt in childhood, is married to a tea seller, who too is disabled. This compelled her to go out and work out a livelihood for herself. From working in a crèche on meagre Rs 400 a month as a part of an NGO named Kangra Mahila Sabha during the last decade to learning Pine needle craft, she has traversed a long journey to empowerment.

Sudarshana has been training village women in the state through different departments in capacity building workshops she guides the women Self Help Groups for their financial empowerment, while ensuring that she continues with her own craft work without a break.

She collects Pine needles from the jungle in summer months, washes them, dries them and keeps the stock ready for use. “I have been making varied products of Pine needles right from handmade cards to baskets, mats, trays and other. I was taking small small steps every day, but never got much response as I used to sell the stuff locally,” she said. November 2018, she said, brought the turning point in her life.

Through some link up in Kangra district, she was picked up for a start up on Pine needle products by the state industries department. “I was also given Rs one lakh prize- Hero of the State award-for my idea and work,” she shared. The industries department later helped her exhibit her products in state and outside.

“I am getting good financial support in the start up now and am learning to make my products more marketable and viable. I am also working out marketing links and am in the process of online sale of my products, after I get the GST (Good and Services Tax number),” she said.

Sudarshana is happy that she is on her path to self dependence and for that she gives credit to her readiness to work in any circumstance. “I have seen much poverty. Every time my husband fell sick, I had to take money from my relatives. At least I will come out of that situation now,” she said.

Sudarshana has always been sharing profits with village women she has been associated with in Self Help Groups in Rait by passing them orders of Pine needle products that she gets.“I want to take other women along. People don’t have any idea about the situation a woman has to face if the family is poor. They need help like I got,” she said.