Farhina Allyjaun

I can never forget the words of the facilitator who told me that life is not always about winning. It is a journey. You need to appreciate the little things in life. I was still under the shock of the death of my husband and I was dragging life away. I was sad and not appreciating anything around me. But in 2014, when I enrolled for this course, my whole life changed.

I had some difficulty when my husband had passed away. I found it difficult to manage the kids, to feed them to look after them. But with time, I learned and this training came just in time to boost my moral. The encouragement that I received was unequal and unlike anything else. For me it was hard to imagine that total strangers were genuinely helping me  out.

After the death of my husband I took to taking orders for snacks such as samosa and cutlets. I developed this idea coz of the training itself. I knew how to do all these and everyone in the family love them so I thought why not sell them to the public. When my husband was still alive I used to suffer from violence. I was a battered woman. My husband wouldn’t let me go anywhere neither I was allowed to work. I was confined within the walls of my home. Even my in-laws were not supportive at all. But the training made me realise that when a woman is independent she has more value and worth in the society.

I have learned that life belongs to those who live it. Courage is just an arm away. I handle my life and those of my kids with courage every day. I don’t bow to injustice; I say no and I teach my kids the same. I would love to be living in my home country back again and I would love to see my products in supermarkets.