Kavita Pradhan of Nahabeda village in Keonjhar district is no ordinary homemaker. This mother of two kids doubles up as an auto-rickshaw driver to supplement her family income.
Kavita’s husband, Shankarshan Pradhan, is a vegetable seller and found it hard to make ends meet. He then inspired as well as taught Kavita to drive an auto. But it was easier said than done. Initially, her driving skills were poor and she wasn’t confident of taking out the vehicle. However, her husband’s persistent encouragement finally won the day.
“I have been driving an auto-rickshaw since the past eight years. It was my husband who encouraged me to drive. I am happy that I can now support my family,” said Kavita.
Like any other homemaker, Kavita wakes up early and completes all the household chores including sending her kids to school. Later, she steps out of the home with her auto-rickshaw.
Kavita’s mother-in-law, Sumita, also has no complaints against her taking up a male-dominated job. “Earlier, people used to talk a lot of things behind her back. But now everybody is happy over Kavita’s achievement,” she said.
