With a deep commitment to supporting his family, Doleshwar Sahu decided to move to Bengaluru from Jharsugada in Odisha. Today, he enjoys learning new things with his team, where he says being treated as an equal has opened new doors for him. Read as he takes us through his journey of belonging and growth.
I am Doleshwar Sahu, and I am 24 years old. I hail from Jharsuguda district in Odisha. I wanted to be treated as an equal, and find opportunities that other people with my qualifications would. This is why I decided to move to Bengaluru.
I have been physically disabled since birth, and therefore only communicate through sign language. Due to this, access to education and job opportunities in my district were limited.
My family is involved in agriculture. My father also has a small shop where he sells the tomatoes we grow, and my mother is a housewife. One of my younger brothers is a wedding videographer, and the other brother is in the 10th standard.
I was only able to study till the 12th standard, and then began helping my family on the farm. However, our financial situation was not the best. I really wanted to contribute towards my family, and began looking for opportunities.
That’s when my friend, who is also physically disabled, motivated me to move to Bengaluru with him. It was far from home, and my family was worried too, since I would have to take care of everything myself. Having each other to rely on was really helpful for my friend and me during this move.
We both found jobs at Flipkart – I am currently a Data Entry Operator at the Malur Fulfillment Center, and he works in another facility. It has now been two years since we moved, and it has been going great so far.
I work with many other eDABs (eKartians with Disabilities), and this makes it very easy for me to fit in – I can see that there are many others like me, and I am no different from anybody else in terms of my capabilities. I feel like I belong to the team, because I am treated as an equal.
I now support myself entirely, and am also able to contribute to my family’s financial needs by sending money home every month.
I have been a part of two Big Billion Days so far, and the energy in the Fulfillment Center is great! We have full support from our respective teams, and we also look forward to the bonuses. I plan to save up and eventually buy a house for myself and my family.
