The girl whose horizon of colours began to fade from her eyes at the age of twelve rose to the status of a successful entrepreneur with her indomitable will.Strength should be gained not by physical ability but by determination and hard work. From the world of blindness, Geetha Saleesh advances to success through her strong willpower.
Geetha was a native of Ottappalam, a district of Palakkad, Kerala lost her eyesight completely at the age of fourteen. She was identified as having a rare genetic disorder, Retinitis pigmentosa. The same fate had met with her two brothers. The family struggled to move forward while dealing with all the crises.
Began To Fight Back
When fate tried to defeat her, she never let others sympathise with her plight. She decided to fight back. In that crisis, she wanted to comfort her parents. So Geetha continued her studies, acquired braille, and graduated in politics. She married Saleesh and became a mother of two children.
Flora, the organic Restaurant
In 2011, the couple started a small organic restaurant in Thrissur called Flora. Geetha worked in the kitchen, pantry and cash counter along with other workers. That business lasted only a short time, due to some space issues. Geeta was not ready to stay there. After a break, she applied for a job but was rejected by the private sector because of her blindness.
Other Businesses
Geetha started a small business selling eggs. She started raising chickens and quails and sold their eggs in nearby shops. But due to lockdown regulations, she could not sell the eggs. So she began making pickles with those eggs and gradually came up with her startup. She made different kinds of curd, ghee, pickles and other homemade products.
Home To Home
Geetha established her brand with the help of her husband and children. During the Pandemic, her attention focused on turmeric. After three years of research, she came up with a delicious product ever made in the market, which she named ‘Curcu meal’.
The Most Healthy And Delicious Curcu Meal
She chose the ‘Pratibha’ variety, which is high in curcumin content. She got permission to grow this variety of turmeric. She started growing it in her house and expanded it to a 5-acre plot spread across three districts. According to her, it is an improved variation of “manjal varakiyathu”, which is usually given to women after childbirth. It is prepared by adding jaggery, dates, almonds and turmeric.
Geetha now manufactures 12,000 bottles from just 100 bottles. She employs around 60 people and focuses mainly o value-added products like Curcu Meal, First Drink, Ghee, Turmeric powder and more. She currently earns over Rs 50,000 monthly and uses a website and social media platforms to run her business.
Empowering Women
Geetha encourages women to cultivate turmeric. She empowers the homemakers because she believes only financial security leads to women’s freedom.
Geeta Saleesh overcomes the notion that the blind can do nothing. She didn’t stop dreaming as the colours faded from her eyes. She continued her studies and learned braille script along with other trades. Being failed in her primary attempt, she continued her passion. As a result, she came with value-added products from turmeric. She is the one who came up with a super food-Curku meal in a delicious and easy format to boost immunity. She never compromises on quality. She now earns and inspires through her venture. Her family supports her. Geeta Salish proves through her life that even blindness bowed down to her insight and enthusiasm. Geeta Salish is honoured with Kairali 2022 Phoenix Award.