Sumithra, 22, of Mathothupoyil Paniya tribal hamlet near Panamaram in Wayanad district, was forced to stop her studies while undergoing Plus One course at a private institution around seven years ago owing to financial difficulties.
Her father Veliyan is a heart patient, and her mother died in her childhood. The welfare pension for Veliyan was the lone income of the family, while the monthly free ration helped them meet both ends.
While Sumithra was staring at a bleak future, the State Bank of India Youth for India (YFI) fellowship project in association with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) launched Thejus, a garment making unit for tribal women in the hamlet in 2019, said Gayathri Kalathil, development coordinator, MSSRF.
