By: Suditi Jindal
I was living blissfully within the confines of my comfortable life for a decade after marriage. I never felt the need to put to use my abilities and talents, as I was busy raising up two children. I live in a joint family set-up, so there was enough on my plate to keep me busy and occupied. However, when my younger one began school, a sombre feeling of listlessness began descending upon me. I could not articulate the growing void within me. I began questioning the purpose of my existence. I found my mother-in-law and my mother too, comfortable and happy in their life, which was not much different from mine at that time. But that sheen of bliss, the joy of a full life, was missing in all of us. I felt an overpowering need to unburden myself. I took refuge in my writing. I had pursued writing as a hobby since my childhood. I was fairly good at it but had lost touch with it in the busyness of my life.
It took me six months to write my first story which turned out to be the length of a novel. I enjoyed the process while it lasted, and it transformed me. However, I did not know what to do with my story or how to prolong my exuberance. A friend suggested that I should send the story to publishers for getting it published as a novel. I laughed off the suggestion saying who would want to read my rantings. But in a moment of extreme desperation and the ease of internet accessibility, I reached out to many publishers. Finally, after a wait of several months, a publishing house expressed its desire to publish my first novel. And, there has been no looking back after that.
I established my own writing and other skills training academy within a couple of years. I was then invited to train university students for soft skills. In another year’s time, I was a visiting faculty in many prestigious academic institutions and universities, for skills trainings. I was then approached to initiate my own course in creative writing at a renowned university. I felt at this juncture, to upgrade my education. My family witnessed my dedication and sincerity towards my work and decided to support my long-cherished dream to pursue a degree in creative writing. They financed my studies in the U.K., as we still do not have an accredited master’s in the subject in India.
My biggest learning from this journey was, to begin with, what we have. All of us are blessed with some talent and there is a natural inclination towards it. We must identify it and hone it. A skill improves with practice, and there should be nothing stopping us from practicing what we like. Meena Bindra started the company, Biba, from the garage of her home, making clothes for herself, and her family and friends. The brand has grown to mammoth proportions spanning the globe. It is possible for women to materialise their dreams and fulfill their aspirations. There are a number of government schemes that support and finance women entrepreneurs. Some schemes even offer collateral-free loans. One can explore a few options in the links below:
https://www.biz2credit.in/business-loans/unsecured-small-business-loan
http://www.womenentrepreneursuk.com/business-loans-women.htm
Women should work and add to the family’s resources. Furthermore, the reservoir of talents and skills that they develop and improvise while managing their households, is of vital importance in the professional arena as well. There are numerous examples of women who have moved out of the confines of their home, either as a choice or a compulsion and making it big in the professional sector. Rashmi Bansal’s book Follow Every Rainbow talks about twenty-five, such enterprising women.
There are many opportunities available for women to seek funding for their education as well. These grants are different from loans, as they do not have to be repaid. The links below provide information on funds and resources for women to pursue education:
https://www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk/
http://mhrd.gov.in/scholarships-education-loan
The opportunities do not stop here. Many women cannot leave their families to pursue their education; free online certificate courses are the solution they are seeking. Renowned universities all over the world offer free accredited programmes via the internet. A few like MIT require payment of a nominal fee to secure a certificate in a free online course. A survey of the links below can help to kick-start your search for such courses:
http://www.oxfordhomestudy.com/free-online-courses-with-certificates
https://www.harvard.edu/about-harvard/frequently-asked-questions/faq-free-courses
https://www.edx.org/school/mitx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItf_Yqtap1wIVGyQrCh0KNQ0mEAAYAiAAEgJ0vfD_BwE
http://www.openculture.com/free_certificate_courses
I firmly believe that everyone, especially every woman, should work. It is a possible dream, an achievable goal