By Nyatum Doke

This is not a conventional success story but a story of- a beginning, an initiation, and someone threading a path different from the one eulogised by our society. Often, I, along with my friends, visit the Community Convention Centre, Tezu (CCC), which, apart from being one of the most innovative structures made by the district administration, also houses a café- ‘The La Rose Patisserie’. The café is run by a young local entrepreneur, Miss Pamela Krong. One can see a galaxy of coffee, tea, and other products in the menu seldom expected in such a remote place. The products are not only unique in appearance, but also, savoury and luscious.
Pamela, a young lady from Lohit, born and brought up in Tezu, originally her parent are from Tehuliang village in Anjaw. She has a degree in sociology and a ‘Diploma in Pastry and Culinary Art’. Like every parent in our society, her parents, especially her father, wanted her to be an officer or do government service. But Pamela has dreams different from those that most young minds have: “I realized, that I don’t have a knack to study for hours; I was always inclined towards entrepreneurial activities, performing arts, etc. Therefore, “I decided to walk on the path that I love and made my choice accordingly,” she added.
She shared that before starting the cafe in the CCC, she used to run a cloud kitchen. “When initially I started, many would say 'market is down’ then some would tell our tribal people do not eat much of these things,” she shared with a smirk. “And yet I continued, and now I can proudly say that I am financially independent,” she smiled.
Sharing about the biggest challenge in her endeavour, she said "First, it’s difficult to start something new, i.e., business cake making, etc., which is not part of our culture. The people would be sceptical and sarcastically ask, After studying so much, would you be doing catering?" she shared. “Then it’s difficult to find the right people for the job; our tribals are shy people and therefore need some time to get acclimatized to the kinds of hospitality that entrepreneurship demands,” she added. However, she said, "There is no dearth of talent and hardworking youth in our society if we look for it properly".
“At first, when I was told to run the café at CCC, I was numb and had no idea how to start for at least two days, but I gathered some courage and agreed to start, she recalled. “Initiation is important; we have to begin somewhere. Once I started, everything fell into place. I am very thankful to the district administration for considering me for the cafe in the CCC,” she said with a sigh of relief.
“Today, I have around nine young girls working with me—learning and earning. I prefer giving opportunities to the local youth—vocal for local, you see’’ she said with a sense of contentment. Then, on asking about the annual return or profit from her business, she replied, “Till now, I have not made an exact accounting; the money is coming as well as going out to pay the salary of the staff and the cost of the inputs for the product. However, “I save enough that I do not have to take financial help from my family,” she reiterated confidently.
Then, she added, “For now, I am not thinking much about profit per se, but I am focusing on surviving the competition in any form and spreading the footprint of my efforts. She emphatically quoted one of the lines that her uncle has told her: “Quality is something that should never be compromised; if quality is good, customers will surely come.”.
On being asked about her opinion on the role of government agencies in empowering entrepreneurs, Pamela shared that “The District Administration led by DC Shashvat Saurabh, IAS, could recognise and understand my potential and provided me with the opportunity that boosted my confidence to a great level." She shared that she has also been shortlisted for the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swavalamban Yojana (DDUSY), under which she will get 50.00 lakhs if everything goes well.
“I am planning to expand my business not just in Lohit but in the entire Arunachal and nearby states,” she said, hopeful. Then she also shared her ignorance about schemes and programs of the government to help entrepreneurs and said that it is essential for any budding entrepreneur to do the necessary research, as the government has many schemes for them.
Pamela may not be the epitome of success in a conventional sense as of now, but the journey that she embarked upon will be trailblazing and will leave a positive footprint for sure. Her story is worth sharing with all the youth who may be uncertain about their choices given the societal pressure. Clearing a competitive exam and securing a government job is no doubt a good option, but that is not the only option. Everyone is not made for studies or government jobs; as it is said, “everyone is unique”.
Lastly, as Pamela puts, "It's ok to dream differently; one should thread the path where one’s heart is instead of getting pushed by society; ultimately, in the long run, you will be alone to push yourself.”  (The contributor is DIPRO Lohit).

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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