Like many others, the second wave of Covid-19 became a cause of misery for 87-year-old Usha Gupta. She and her husband, Rajkumar, contracted the virus and were admitted to Batra Hospital in Delhi. After 27 gruesome days, Rajkumar passed away, ending their journey of six decades together.
Having lost her husband in the severe second wave of COVID-19, 87-year-old Usha Gupta found a new purpose to life and started selling homemade pickles and chutneys to support families affected by COVID-19.
"I saw a lot of sorrow all around me. The lack of oxygen was one thing. But it seemed as if we were standing in the middle of a war and everyone was in a panic," she said in a statement to India Today.
While she was in the hospital, Usha saw the helplessness of the patients and their families. Her husband suffered from lack of oxygen twice and could not make it the second time.
She added, "I saw a lot of sorrow all around me. The lack of oxygen was one thing. But it seemed as if we were standing in the middle of a war and everyone was in a panic. After losing my husband, I lost myself. I was in deep pain and shock."
She also revealed how she felt after seeing the raging pandemic affecting families that were not financially strong. Her experience at the hospital gave a new meaning to her life and she decided to be a helping hand to the needy with her delicious homemade pickles.
She started the journey of 'Pickled With Love' in July 2021, where she sold homemade pickles and chutney. The revenue generated by the selling of pickles is used to deliver food to people affected by COVID-19.
Her granddaughter, Radhika Batra, who is a pediatrician in Delhi, inspired her to start the venture. Usha's family gathered information about sourcing necessary goods - fresh ingredients, bottles, label printers among other things.
"Every penny matters. I am glad that even on a small scale, I am able to do something different. A bottle of 200 grams of pickle or chutney costs Rs 150. This money which was gathered by selling and its marketing was used to deliver food to more than 65,000 needy people who were affected by Covid," she said.
Usha now wants to empower underprivileged women and help them start small businesses of their own. She expressed that she was willing to make them learn the art of cooking to earn a livelihood.
She has also authored a book called 'Indian Vegetarian Cuisine'.
(With inputs from India Today).
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