Lalitha
My name is Lalitha (not real name), and I live in Thiruvananthapuram. I am a widow and have been living with HIV for many years. After my husband passed away, I felt completely lost. Life felt empty, and I struggled every day—not just with my health, but with loneliness, financial stress, and the fear of an uncertain future. I also had to look after my childrens but I only had very few resources and no steady income.
The only skill I had was a basic knowledge of tailoring, but I never had the confidence or opportunity to use it to earn a living. That’s when I heard about Project Koottu, an initiative by Vincentian Social Services. It was a turning point in my life.
