: After Losing Husband to COVID, Woman Battles Cancer to Turn Entrepreneur at 60 #IndiaNEWS #Entrepreneurs “Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s

After Losing Husband to COVID, Woman Battles Cancer to Turn Entrepreneur at 60 #IndiaNEWS #Entrepreneurs
“Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong. ???

These words by Muhammad Ali inspire confidence to pick ourselves back up again. And Uma Maheswari (60), who faced several hardships, is the epitome of this philosophy. She says, “I had my kids by my side, and with a smile on our faces, we got through everything as a family. Life will always be hard, we need to stay strong and keep moving forward. ???

“Mom [Uma] retired from government service in June 2020 and just after that, it felt like too many things started going awry. It began with my father falling ill and succumbing to COVID. Unfortunately, on the day of my father’s demise, my mother also tested positive for COVID. It was a very difficult period and there was no time to process our grief,??? says 28-year-old Ritesha Jairaj, Uma’s daughter.

“We started the Ahaira project as a way to get out of the depression and rut we had fallen into after the untimely demise of my father due to COVID,??? adds the computer engineer who shuttles between the USA and Hyderabad.

Ahaira project, a clothing brand with a purpose, was founded in November 2020 by the mother-daughter duo.

A model wearing an ikat co-ord set.

They design and sell exclusive handloom and artisanal clothes while empowering, educating and employing families whose livelihood was affected by the pandemic.

Two months later, on 13 September 2020, Uma had a heart attack. She had to undergo surgery and also had a stent placed in her valve. Just when the family thought the worst was behind them and started to move ahead, Uma experienced very heavy post-menopausal bleeding. “In September 2021, she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. It was all in such quick succession that it hit us really hard,??? says Ritesha.

However, it was sheer resilience that helped the family cope. “The only thing that helped us is being with each other,??? says Uma.

‘A way to move ahead’

Mother-daughter duo of Ahaira project

It was a collective love for fashion and textiles that the mother-daughter shared that acted as a much-needed anchor in their time of crisis. Uma says, “While I was physically suffering my daughter was also diagnosed with trauma and depression and I wanted to find a way to help her. I knew her dream was to start her own fashion brand and it seemed like a good time to explore that further. ???

The duo took baby steps towards realising this dream and Ritesha says, “Neither of us viewed Ahiara project as a business.