“I started working as a welder out of sheer compulsion. After finishing school, I worked in the fields for two years. My father, Ramarao, was a farmer in Ernapadu. We incurred major losses due to droughts during my growing up years. I did not want to follow my father so, I decided to work in another city and my parents did not object either.

I came to Vijayawada twelve years ago, in search of work. Luckily, one of the mechanical workshop owners who was from my village offered me a job. I assisted him for eight years and he helped me set up this small welding workshop. I wouldn’t say it’s a profitable business but it does bring food to the table. It’s definitely not easy to stay away from family for so many years but I am doing it for survival. Every month, I would send some money back home and visit my village once every six months.

I had faced severe losses earlier in 2016, during demonetisation, but that didn’t deter me from moving forward. The same applies now. Yes, there’s less work and I had to bear standing costs for two months during the lockdown. But will thinking about it and crying brings us anything? No. We will have to adapt to change and that’s exactly what I am doing now. These are testing times and I will try to push myself to work harder so that I can take care of my family. Everyday is a struggle and we will have to learn to rise above these storms. That’s what life is all about right?”

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