Grannies show youth the way

KOCHI: They may be old but don’t mistake their gnarled facade and take them for granted. Setting an example for the youth today, many mothers and grandmothers, who are in their late seventies, eighties or even nineties, continue to remain engaged in various activities earning a tidy income for themselves. These women are using their myriad talents to only provide for themselves but also for their children and grandchildren.

Ninety-year-old Bikshavathy is an expert tassel maker. As her deft and nimble fingers tie the threads into intricate knots on the pallus of sarees, Bikshavathy says, “This is what I used to do and will continue to do till my fingers stop working.” Bikshavathy is a spinster and lives with her sisters in Kochi. “On a good day, I make around Rs 500. However, most of it gets spent to buy thread,” she adds. 

For 79-year-old Beema, entrepreneurship came her way when she decided to lend a helping hand to her son Niyas. “The lockdown completely turned my son’s life upside down. He lost his job and didn’t have the means to earn a livelihood. So, I offered to help him out and the best way I knew was to put my cooking skills to use,” says Beema. She began making ‘avilospodi’.  Her product is famous as ‘Ummas avilosupodi’ and sells at `342 per kg. “My son does the marketing,” she adds while explaining that engaging in this endeavour has given her a purpose. 

While Beema is busy helping out her son, 83-year-old Rosily Francis from Thrissur joined hands with a food vlogger to shoot a video that sheds light on traditional Syrian Christian recipes. “I came to know of the vlogger’s hunt for a person who knows traditional recipes. I contacted him and he selected me. He wanted someone in their eighties. So here I am starring in a video at such a ripe old age and enjoying every bit of it,” says Beema. Her family wants to preserve these videos for posterity.

Among these ladies, Padmam stands out for being the one who has reached the grand milestone of 100. “She is 100 and not out,” says her daughter Lata. “She very disciplined in her routine and focused on hand painting motifs on sarees,” adds Lata. “I think people should never sit idle and must keep working till the end so that your mind is alert. I have no caretaker and do most of my things myself,” says Padmam. She sets herself a target to work for three hours, and meticulously completes her task for the day. It takes Padmam about a month to complete work on a saree.