Blind but undaunted: The Visually Impaired Entrepreneur

Dr. HH MohrmenMarch 9, 2021

With the kind of predicament that he has, other would just surrender to their fate and live the rest of their lives relying on the mercy of others. Or some would just pick up their walking stick and a begging bowl and start begging in the nearby market. But this visually challenge person is no ordinary person.  

He was born like any ordinary boy on June the 6, 1982 in Moosakhia village a small hamlet about 14 KM away from Jowai. His eyes were perfectly alright when Kelvin Suting was born and he could see like any ordinary boy but not for long. Misfortune occurred when he was about 12 to 13 years old while he was working as a cow herder with a family at Pdengshakap village, Amlarem sub division. His world, all of a sudden becomes dark on the ill-fated day as he could not see anymore. His family took him for treatment at the Shillong Civil Hospital and later at Bansara eye hospital only to be told that that his blindness is incurable.

It was the Doctor at Bansara who helped connect him with Bethany Society where he was trained in handicraft in 2003 and stayed there for two years. From 2003 till 2010 he earn his livelihood making broomstick initially working from his village but later with the help of some good Samaritan he moved to Shillong and start working from Shillong. In 2010 an opportunity opened when Bethany society arranged for his training as a massage therapist in New Delhi. Returning to Shillong he worked as a massage therapist from 2010 visiting clients in their houses.

In the year 2012 he returned to his village and with a loan provided by the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex bank, Amlarem branch he started making broom stick again. He was able to repay the loan within one year. In the year 2014 he was part of the team preparing Moosakhia for the visit of the international delegates of the Tere madre festival. In the same year with the support of the Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment he was recognised by the District Centre for Industries and Commerce, West Jañtia Hills and later he was conferred with the state award by the same department. He is also a master craftsman and conducted training in handicraft for the youths of Moosakhia village.

In 2018 Bethany Society again called him for training on integrated farming which was supported by Asian Development Bank and one of the components of the training was on Bokashi farming. With the rupees ten thousand that was provided as seed money, he started making his poultry shed and has spend about 90,000 rupees in making the shed. He later spent another Rs. 11, 200 to purchase 40 grownup layer birds. SURE again helped link him to the market in Jowai and he has been selling eggs for more than a months now and he expect to break even in few months time. He was also trained on mushroom cultivation and he is now producing oyster mushroom and from the one hundred packets of sponges he bought he has so far earn about 15000/- rupees.

In spite of the challenges he faced, Kelvin never grumbles or questioning his fate, nor is there self pity about the condition that he is in. He is optimistic as the new dawn and face and all the challenges with a strike.

Kelvin Suting plans to upgrade his farm and need about rupees 67,000/- to complete the half build shed, purchase feeds and buy another 80 numbers of layer chicks. He would be grateful if anybody can support him in his endeavour.