In 2014, KS Sheeja’s life took a devastating turn when her son met with a motorcycle accident. The injury was so severe that it nearly cost him his leg.

Faced with the need for long-term treatment, the Kerala-based family moved to Tamil Nadu. For 1.5 years, their lives revolved around hospital corridors and a fragile hope for recovery.

Seeking comfort in plants Amidst emotional exhaustion and the monotony of treatment schedules, Shreeja (53) stumbled upon a new source of comfort — tending to plants.

What began as planting a few vegetables around their temporary villa slowly grew into a quiet yet powerful form of therapy, reminding her that life could still flourish even when circumstances felt barren.

When her son’s treatment was completed and the family returned to Kerala, Sheeja refused to leave her newfound passion behind.

Building a small farm From a modest 25-cent plot and an additional leased acre, Sheeja nurtured over 200 plants, producing more than 25 varieties of vegetables and eight types of fruit, including exotic offerings like rambutan and mangosteen.

She introduced beekeeping to aid pollination, raised poultry for both eggs and natural manure, and even processed turmeric.

Her homemade liquid fertiliser, made by leaching poultry droppings in water, enriched her soil without a trace of chemicals.

Selling locally, earning steadily Word spread through WhatsApp groups and personal networks. Local doctors and residents became repeat buyers, drawn not only to the produce’s freshness but also to its organic integrity.

Today, Sheeja earns about Rs 50,000 annually from her produce and Rs 11,000 from honey sales alone.

More importantly, she has transformed her pain into purpose. “It’s not just about sowing seeds — it’s about nurturing dreams and healing old wounds with each harvest,” she says.