The pandemic and the lockdown has produced many unlikely success stories. One such is of a 17-year-old boy, Akshay Hajare, who refused to give in to grim circumstances and stood to fend for his family. Akshay lost his father two years back when he was barely 15. His father had been the sole bread-earner for the family. His mother, who had been a housewife, was forced to work as a housemaid to make ends meet and feed her two children. Living in a rented house in Ravet near Pune, it fell upon Akshay to take up part-time odd jobs to supplement the family income. But even those jobs vanished as the pandemic struck and lockdown was imposed. That is when he decided to use the empty plot of land next to their house to grow vegetables. He had been growing some flowers and fruits here. He divided the small piece of land into eight compartments and started growing tomatoes, onions, cluster beans, coriander, brinjal, dill, fenugreek, and okra. It was hard work. But his love for farming spurred him on. The vegetables not only brought in much-needed money but also supplemented the family’s food supplies.
10 Jan 2022
Aditi Chavan
