Life dealt her a series of crushing blows, but this 70-year-old woman from Kerala refused to surrender. For the last 32 years, Sudha Chandran of Thattekkad, Kerala, has boldly fought against all odds, building a life as a forest guide and entrepreneur.
While the first setback occurred 32 years ago when her husband Chandran, a tea shop owner at Thattekkad, suddenly passed away leaving behind two children, the other happened in 2018 when she was diagnosed with cancer. It was a diagnosis that could have shattered anyone’s spirit. But instead of succumbing to despair, she decided to fight the illness head-on.
“I am a fighter and I will not easily give up. Being a woman, I had to face a lot of issues right from my young age. But I learned things in the hardest way to emerge as a survivor,” Sudha Chandran, fondly known as Sudhamma, told “Open Digest.”
Sudhamma’s fight for survival began 32 years ago when she decided to run her husband’s tea shop after his death. “Many scorned me at that time for reopening the tea shop a few days after his death. I did that because I realized that if I didn’t act, my children would starve to death. I ignored the critics and worked hard,” said Sudhamma, who is now not only a bird watcher at Thattekkad but also a forest guide, motivational speaker, and a successful entrepreneur running a homestay for tourists visiting the famous Thattekkad bird sanctuary.
“When I was diagnosed with cancer, I wasn’t afraid. I needed to stay alive for my children and show them that no matter how hard life gets, we must fight back,” Sudhamma said.
Sudhamma’s love for wildlife and forest began when she started listening to classes by famous ornithologist Dr. R Sugathan. “I used to serve tea to the visitors who came to attend Dr. Sugathan’s classes. Out of curiosity, I used to listen to the classes. One day, he formally invited me to attend the classes, and that changed my life. I started loving the forest and the birds in it,” she said.
Today, Sudhamma can identify over 165 species of birds, and she knows the forest inside and out. In the last 18 years, Sudhamma has earned appreciation from different nature clubs and organizations for guiding bird watchers and tourists who come to the bird sanctuary.
Though the cancer treatment has weakened her body, Sudhamma continues her job as a forest guide, helping tourists and bird watchers. “The forest has given me a life which taught me that humans are the most dangerous in the world, not the animals. I am happy and proud that I could bring up my children providing them quality education,” she said.
While her son Gireesh Chandran is a lawyer, her daughter Shalini Chandran is pursuing her graduation in nursing.
Apart from being a forest guide, Sudhamma actively volunteers with cancer awareness campaigns, encouraging other patients to stay strong during their treatment journey. “There is always hope, even in the darkest moments,” she says with a smile.
Most recently, Sudhamma has been chosen as the recipient of the 27th P V Thampy Memorial Endowment Award for Environment Protection.
