It’s always inspiring to hear stories of women chasing after their dreams, finding a way to make a more flexible lifestyle work for them and stopping at nothing to create a life they adore. Vindya Kumari’s story is one such story. A wife, a mother and now a successful entrepreneur; her story is about taking a huge risk and then falling in love with her life again.
Vindya at the age of 42 left a promising job after 18 years in the Government sector because her lifestyle didn’t allow her a work-life balance. Just as she was being recommended for a promotion, she had to choose between continuing her career or staying at home to help her eldest son to focus on his upcoming Scholarship exam. As any mother would do, she chose her family’s interest over her career.
A Brave Step to Start Over
A year into Vindya’s life as a full-time housewife, she was bored and unfulfilled. Her underlying desire to get back to work was calling out to her. She discovered her passion for hosting after a being prompted by her architect who suggested her newly bought land was a prime location to build a guest house. In an industry dominated by men, Kumari is a rare and brilliant breed that overcame her fear of venturing into a field she had no clue about, set up Siyathma Guest House and at present successfully runs day-to-day operations all by herself.
‘Hospitality and tourism is such a great industry with plenty of opportunities for growth and earning,’ she explains. ‘It has a role for everyone, whether young or old.’ When Vindya began she did not have much confidence or any knowledge about how to run a guest house. But Vindya thrives on challenges, brims with determination and drive and has a huge willingness to learn. She delights in being able to meet visitors locally and internationally and growing her business every year.
Increased Opportunity through Workplace-based Training
Vindya is also one of the participants of the Skills for Inclusive Growth’s (S4IG) Workplace-Based Skills Training programme in Polonnaruwa. The S4IG is a program funded by the Australian Government’s Aid program in partnership with the Ministry of Skills Development, Employment and Labour Relations, committed to giving people, especially women, the tools to expand their capabilities and realise their true potential within the tourism industry.
The program by S4IG is designed to upgrade the skills of owners, managers, and employees to improve standards and productivity across the hospitality while being offered flexible training on the job. Since Vindya’s participation in the program, she has not only learned the basic skills to improve her service delivery, business performance and meet industry standards but has also gained the confidence to run her guest house independently.
Vindya is determined and passionate about making her business a successful one. Her family, including her sons, now lend a hand in the business and she is hopeful that they will take over her business in the future. Vindya also attributes her success to her brother who was always encouraging and her husband who supported her in her life’s biggest risk. Her parents who were doubtful are now proud of their daughter chasing her dreams at the age of 48, and people in her home town find her a role-model.
Since her participation in the program, Vindya has now expanded her guest house to include more rooms, increased her profit margin and also enjoys the flexibility of getting to spend time with her family that her previous job didn’t allow her to do. The tourism industry, she says, gave her the opportunity to realise her passion while juggling the demands of motherhood.