Meet Sadaf, Woman on Wheelchair Who Successfully Runs Her Own Spice Business in Kashmir- Here’s Her Inspiring Journey

Sadaf from Kashmir never lost hope and this her journey from owning to a boutique to running a successful business despite all the ordeals.

Passions and determination know no bounds. When one is determined to embark on a journey with full resilience and dexterity, nothing can stop the person. Bound by a wheelchair, this is how Sadaf runs her spice business from the valleys of Kashmir.

Inspiring Journey of Sadaf Masalay

Born and brought up in the panoramic valleys of Kashmir, Sadaf was once a basketball player, owned a boutique and now is a successful entrepreneur. It was all rosy and colourful until one day she was down with a high fever at the age of 10.

On visiting the doctor, she was diagnosed with a condition where she was to told that she will not be able to walk again.

Eventually, she had to drop out of school. After being turned by several medical professionals in Kashmir, Sadaf’s family travelled to Mumbai with a ray of hope. She underwent surgery and was asked to specially designed shoes. But the weight was too heavy and weighed down her morale and brought her on a wheelchair. Speaking to The Better India, she said, “While children from the neighbourhood went to school, I would watch them sitting in my wheelchair at home. I did not understand why this was happening to me.”

It was a tough road ahead for Sadaf and her family. After the passing of her father, all the responsibilities weighed heavy on her shoulders. She recalls how her father was he only pillar of support and showed belief when no one else did. “Except for my father, everyone else doubted my capabilities. But he always encouraged me to dream big. I missed him. There were days, when I would end up crying all day, sitting alone in my room. I was getting into depression,” she was quoted.

Sadaf’s Journey From Boutique to Spice Business

In 2015, Sadaf opened her own boutique but the working conditions hampered her eyesight. Speaking to the same publication, she said, ” But I wanted to try my hands at everything. So, I decided to play basketball as well. I have also been awarded multiple times by the Jammu and Kashmir Basketball Association.”

“Today, I have established my own business without anyone’s emotional or financial support. People would question me what I could achieve sitting in a wheelchair, all this when their educated and able-bodied children sat idly. Now the very same people give my example to others,” she added.

The girl from the valley has faced several ordeals that came her way but she never backed down. Endeavouring to instil a similar spirit, Sadaf believes that people on wheelchairs or disabled otherwise should never doubt themselves. Have belief and keep going.