There is no sight better than seeing a kid playing with cute toys brimming with joy. Their innocence, curiosity, and tantrums can win anyone’s heart. Toys’ impact on kids’ minds and moods is soothing, but have you ever had amazing crochet toys change the life of a 32-Year-old woman suffering from vitiligo?
But this is exactly what happened in the case of Asha Khatri, who, in between completing her education of M.A. and B.Ed. and preparing for government exams for years, ended up finding the real purpose of her life in crochet toys.
This lady, who always wanted to be self-dependent and live life on her own, did not know that her hobby of crocheting would lead her to become a handmade crochet toys creator, social media darling, and amazing woman entrepreneur, and she would not only bring smiles to her face but to the faces of thousands of children and parents around India.
Crochet Toys – Brought Blessings
Asha Belongs to Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, the city of forts. But since childhood, she has been a little different than all the other kids. But life tested her with a twist of fate, painting her skin with the mosaic of vitiligo. She lived in an atmosphere where she knew that she had to be remarkable to find her place in society.
At the age of 10, I developed vitiligo, which caused my parents and family to become concerned. They took me to various treatments, leading to stress and a loss of confidence throughout my childhood. I didn’t fully grasp back then that vitiligo is a condition, not a disease.
Due to medication and hormone changes, she even gained weight and came across various health challenges. Living in traditional Indian society, where vitiligo is looked upon as a handicap for women in particular that creates hindrances to finding success in life and a suitable match, she is emerging victorious.
“I think it’s important to address the sad state of mind in our society regarding vitiligo. People tend to view it negatively, but in reality, it’s just a skin condition caused by melanin. It leads to white patches on the body, but it’s not something that should be used to judge a person’s worth or abilities. It took me a long time to accept myself.”
In the depths of her heart, Asha held a dream close – to achieve self-dependence by landing a government job. With unwavering determination, she immersed herself in preparation, pouring sweat and tears into her studies. But, despite her valiant efforts, the exam seemed like an insurmountable challenge. Disappointment washed over her, and for a moment, self-doubt crept in, whispering doubts about her abilities.
After several attempts, she was unable to pass any exam; the burden of having a painted skin, a physique that did not match the so called perfect note, and the ever-increasing pressure of being independent stole all her confidence and self-esteem.
Maybe God has something remarkable and exciting in store for her! It was a coincidence that one day she saw one of her relatives’ children playing with crochet toys, and the idea stayed in her head to make them with her own hands and sell them online, since crocheting was a pastime she enjoyed doing from time to time.
I remember very well, it was in November of 2021, I made my first crochet toys. It was an octopus. Very tiny one. My family and my niece loved it. So I made few more toys. Everyone loved them.
I hosted my first exhibition and to my surprise, I got immense love.
Childhood Hobby Became Tool To Create Better Destiny.
The crochet technique is usually passed on from one generation to another in Indian society. This is what happened with Asha as well. She developed an interest in crochet in her childhood and mastered the technique by learning from her mother and grandmother.
Little did she know this very hobby would become a tool by which she would weave a brighter future that would lead to becoming self-dependent and financially independent.
As stated, she had curiosity in her mind about the idea of creating crochet toys and selling them to children. She created a few samples of crochet toys and held a small exhibition where she got a positive response, and this was the last push she needed. She knew she was into something significant, and indeed, it proved to be a life-changing moment for her.
Where There Is A Toy, There Is Joy
Asha’s creativity and social media reach have transformed her into a favourite among crochet toys lovers.
It is all well to have the skill, talent, and will to bring about change in one’s life by doing business, but when it comes to projecting and marketing yourself before an unknown target audience, the challenge does seem like conquering Mount Everest to most.
However, Asha is conquering it with flying colours, like a champion, with the help of social media. She has a presence on Instagram and runs a website as well. She takes orders for crochet toys online and delivers them all over India. Within a few months, she has already sold more than 2000 toys, and the numbers are on an upward trend.
Just by going through her social media channels, it is easy to understand why she is getting so much love. What she is doing is not confined to just crochet toys, as she designs and creates flower bouquets and many other household decorative items made by crochet art.
Asha is expanding her adorable collection by adding dreamcatchers to her belongings. The inspiration came when the owner of the famous “Tattoo Cafe” in Jaipur asked her to make unique and colorful dreamcatchers for the cafe. She made two beautiful crochet dreamcatchers and will soon showcase them on her page.
The audience can see that a woman stigmatised for vitiligo and weight issues is much more than what she looks like. Her crochet toys are super cute and adorable and are receiving much-deserved love.
So, if you are someone who loves toys and wants to give your children something different, do visit Asha’s social media channel, ashi.toys.studio and from there, you can not only order wonderful toys for your child but encouragement and support Asha.
If you like the story of this Unique business idea, please read about These special cafes run by differently-abled people are breaking the stereotypes and winning the hearts
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