Woman who climbs above clouds: Anitha’s story

KOTTAYAM: In the quiet hours of the morning in Kottayam, while most of the city is still waking, 51-year-old Anitha is already on the move. She doesn't just manage a business; she masters the trees. Driving her pickup auto, she scouts for the best tender coconuts, scales the towering palms with practiced ease, and carefully lowers the bounty on a rope. It is a gruelling, rhythmic labour that has become the heartbeat of her life.

For Anitha, the coconut tree is more than just a source of income—it is the lifeline that saved her.

Born in Venjaramoodu, Anitha came to Kottayam as a 19-year-old bride. Her early years were shadowed by the turmoil of an abusive marriage. Her husband, Unnikrishnan, struggled with alcoholism, and their home was defined by conflict. Twenty years ago, he walked out and never looked back, leaving Anitha to face a daunting future with two small children, Anjana and Akhil, and an elderly mother-in-law to care for.

She refused to be broken. Anitha learned to drive an auto and took out a bank loan to buy a pickup vehicle. At first, she survived on transport fees alone, but the meagre income wasn’t enough to keep her family afloat. Driven by necessity and a fierce love for her children, she made a life-changing decision: she bought a coconut tree climbing machine for Rs. 2,800 and taught herself the craft.

The first day, she climbed five trees. Today, she is a force of nature, cutting more than 100 native tender coconuts daily across Thiruvarpu, Parippu, Kumarakom, Kallungathara Palli, and Olassa. Selling them at her stall in Nagampadam for Rs. 60 each, she earns between Rs. 2,000 and 2,500 a day.

Her hands, weathered by the bark and the work, have built a future for her children. She has successfully supported her daughter through nursing school and seen her married, and she has provided her son with a passenger auto rickshaw to help him find his own path.

Though she and her family still live in a rented house, Anitha’s spirit remains unbowed. She looks to the horizon with a simple, quiet resolve:

"I still have a dream of owning my own house. As long as I am healthy, I will climb the coconut trees."