Attabira: Forty-year-old Kailash Nayak is a poor man but his knowledge in making effective medicines for jaundice, piles, gastric and arthritis helps him run his family.
Kailash, who hails from Ulunda Keutapali village in Subarnapur district, is a staunch believer in the saying: ‘Where there’s a will there’s a way’
He has no ancestral property or farmland. Despite this, he lives a happy life with his family comprising wife, son and daughter.
Kailash has good knowledge in making medicines by using roots and herbs. He says he acquired the knowledge from his association with some Ayurvedic healers.
He collects leaves, barks, nuts and roots from nearby jungles and prepares medicines from them.
Later Kailash would carry the bag full of medicines and raw materials on his bicycle to different markets and sell them in Attabira and Bheden blocks of Bargarh district.
Before sunset, he returns to a safe place to stay in the night.
Kailash used to spend a week away from his family and when he returns home he would buy rice, dal, oil, vegetable and other necessary items for his family for a week.
When asked what keeps his business running, he says customers like his honesty.
“I never do any compromise while preparing medicines. Once people use my products, they believe in my medicines and thus become my permanent customers. Through word of mouth, my customers will help me get new customers and the number is growing.”
While he sells medicines for various ailments, the ones for jaundice, piles, gastric and arthritis are the most in demand.
“Another reason why customers come to me is that my medicines are comparatively less expensive,” he adds.
Regarding his earnings, he says, “On an average, I earn anywhere between Rs 2, 000 and Rs 2, 500 a week. With this income, I happily run my family,” adds Kailash, who always says that being poor is not a sin.
PNN