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A brilliant example of female empowerment, Swasti Mehta is an inspiration for all those who may feel like giving up when life appears to be rocky and bumpy.
Swasti Mehta from Mumbai holds up a board which says in all caps: STOP USING RETARD AS A SLUR. She asks a question in her Instagram post: “Am I and other people with Down Syndrome lesser beings than you?”
Twenty-seven year-old Swasti does not need validation from the world to say that she is talented and has potential. She proves it through her actions.
It is a tale of positivity, resilience, and facing odds. Swasti’s Down Syndrome has not stopped her from doing what she wants as she embarks on her path to achieve her goal.
Swasti’s ‘Pudina Punch’ may be refreshing to beat the summer heat, but even more invigorating and inspiring is the story behind this natural drink.
It all started during the first COVID-19 lockdown when Swasti tried experimenting in the kitchen. She made a drink out of mint and lemons for her parents and brother. They loved it, and it almost became a ritual. The neighbors got to taste it too, and the praise she received sparked the idea. Her parents suggested that she expand the project and make a business out of it.
Swasti launched her brand ‘Pudina Punch’ in February 2021 and took the first step with her brother Aarsh who helped her to advertise her drink online. Her parents left no stone unturned to see that everything from getting the raw materials to packaging the product went smoothly. It was not easy, considering that Swasti made her drink from scratch, yet she did not give up.
Swasti, with the active support of her brother, chronicles her entrepreneurial story through fun Instagram reels. She owes her success to her parents and her brother who have always had her back in her mission and provided her with unflinching support.
Her parents kept her spirits up when orders were low. With all the grit and determination, Swasti has stood undeterred. Her business is gradually flourishing, and from initially selling just 1 or 2 bottles a day, she now gets requests for more than 20 orders on a daily basis. It is through word of mouth and direct messages sent to her Instagram account that Swasti gets her customers.
Swasti’s joy rises to the brim as she shares a video of her Pudina Punch being poured into a fancy glass with a song by Salem Ilese and Surfaces as a backdrop. She writes: “Happy customers sending aesthetic videos of Pudina Punch is the best feeling ever.”
A quote from Oprah Winfrey preaches a beautiful truth: “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” Swasti’s story is a case in point. Her confidence and belief in herself have strengthened her to overcome obstacles and emerge as a winner! “I can’t wait to soar higher,” she exclaims!
If this is not a brilliant example of female empowerment, I don’t know what else is. Swasti Mehta is an inspiration for all those who may feel like giving up when life appears to be rocky and bumpy. As the budding home entrepreneur stands focused and determined to take her project forward, let us all wish her all the good fortune in the journey ahead.
Images source: Swasti Mehta’s Instagram page
Rashmi Bora Das is a freelance writer settled in the suburbs of Atlanta. She has a master’s degree in English from India, and a second master’s in Public Administration from the University of read more...
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She would serve everyone fresh food and serve herself the stale rice and curries from the previous meal. Some days after finishing the leftovers she was so full she would not even be able to even taste the fresh food.
When I married the first time, my MIL told me that during the Navratri the lady of the house should not eat stale food. ‘Gharatlya bai ni shila khau naye’ — in refined upper caste Marathi.
I was just 26, eager to please, not versed in patriarchy or feminism, and it seemed like a positive thing — respect for the goddess in woman.
But soon I realised she spent the remaining 356 days of her year finishing leftovers. And that I was expected to do the same.
We say that we live in modern times and talk on subjects like feminism, supporting your loved ones, encouraging them to follow their dreams. But how many of us can really say that they actually do that?
We live in a world where there comes times in everyone’s life when one has to make choices which will leave a long term impact in not just their life but on the lives of those attached to them.
Giving the ones you claim to love the freedom and space to make their own choices and the wings to fly is not only the right thing to do but sometimes its also the thing they need the most; without having to face the ‘guilt’ of living the life they want.