Strength And Smile Keeps Dora Moving

By – Sonia Devi, INN/ Shillong, @infodeaofficial

There are many people in this world who dream of living a lavish life. A life with food, shelter, clothes and all possible propensities that a human being wishes. But amid this materialistic mindset, there are some who work hard every minute to earn their bread and still feel self-sufficient.  

Dora Palya is a single mother who earns her livelihood by working hard.  The 43 – year old is an inhabitant of Shillong, Meghalaya and runs a small food stall. She opens her stall sharp at 5:30 in the morning to sell tea, bread, chapattis, sabji, jadoh rice (a khasi rice dish), pork curry, and so on. People love her food, appreciate her effort to provide home-like food for those who travel far for work and don’t have time to even enjoy a proper meal unless it’s a weekend.

Dora’s husband left her for another woman leaving her broken and shattered as she has a daughter to take care and secure her future. Being a mother, she later realized that giving up is not the option and life doesn’t end there.

She stood up sensing her responsibility towards her daughter and live life respectfully with basic comforts which looked difficult initially. With the determination to change her fortune, she opened a food stall but her financial condition came as an obstacle. At the periphery of road with the hustle and bustle of buses, trucks and cars, people will stop by her stall and enjoy the food.  Even though her style doesn’t look like any of those grand and sumptuous but one will always find people standing outside her stall asking for food. People love her mirthful nature and mouth-watering dishes. She had a very terrible past and a battering present but now nothing seems to stop her from moving head with a smile. “It gives me strength and the believe that one day all my hardships will be gone”. Dora says. Being the only bread earner in her small family, she cooks the food, serves and wash the dishes alone. Her daughter helps in packing her lunch for her which she eats with an inner satisfaction of being self-sufficient rather than giving up in life.

        “In the future, if I have enough money, I will upgrade my food stall and will look for a better home to live. I want to give a better life to my daughter so that she completes her education and become a successful person” Dora adds.

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