“I am a native of Srikakulam. I was into agriculture for my livelihood when I was young. We migrated to Vijayawada with a hope to start a successful small business. It’s been 30 years since we started making ceramic idols for our livelihood. The speciality of these toys is in the quality of clay that goes into the manufacturing process. I am 45 years old and I work hard for 14 hours a day in making, decorating, and selling these toys. We are going through a bad crisis due to the availability of other alternatives in the market and coronavirus lockdown has hit our livelihood badly. There’s no demand for these toys currently. I always regret not being educated because of my family situation. It has certainly made sustaining life in today’s progressive world more difficult. But I don’t want to repeat the same mistake for my children. I am working day in and out to give them the best education and I hope to see them in a good position in the future.”