Struggling After Husband’s Death, Widow’s Tea Stall Was Transformed by Art & Kindness! #WATWB
Art is not just intended to be appreciated for its beauty or emotional power. Art has the potential to transform lives too.
A native of Uttarakhand, Dipti Joshi lost her husband at a young age, which put the entire responsibility of supporting her family of three on her shoulders. She ran a small tea stall in the hills of Kumaon, Uttarakhand. which was mainly frequented by drivers and staff of a nearby resort.
A group of people from Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), Delhi, were on a trip to the hills of Uttarakhand when they stopped at her little tea stall. When they heard her story, they decided that they had to help her.
With the help of local school students, the KNMA team painted the walls of Joshi Tea Stall. Keeping the spirit of the local culture and tradition of Kumaon hills, the ‘painters’ team decided to incorporate Aipan, the traditional painting style from Kumaon, on the walls of Joshi tea stall.
With a drastic change in its appearance and the shop’s name being rechristened as ‘Josh Café’. This intervention marked an overnight change in Dipti’s life. She found more people slowly flocking to her stall along with a steady and better flow of income.
Amazing, isn’t it!
An act of kindness transformed Dipti’s life. Kindness is a simple concept, but it’s impact is large in scope. We all have the ability to transform someone’s life for the better, just by a simple act or word. Let’s make our world a better place, one kind act at a time!
This post is part of the We Are the World Blogfest, a monthly blogging event created by Damyanti Biswas and Belinda Witzenhausen to showcase stories of hope and light. This month, I’m helping out as a co-host, along with extraordinary bloggers : Damyanti Biswas, Lizbeth Hartz, Peter Nena and Simon Falk Please hop over to check out their WATWB posts as well as from other WATWB participants for a dose of feel-good to last you a whole month. You’ll be happy you did!
November 30, 2019 1:26 am|
How lovely that the artists act of kindness made such a difference Thank you for sharing and for being co-host this month. Have a great weekend 🙂
November 30, 2019 12:12 pm|
What a lovely story. One small act of kindness can go a long way. Also what a way to teach young people to be more sensitive and kind.
December 2, 2019 2:05 pm|
Oh my gosh! This is such a heartwarming story on how such a simple act of kindness can do wonders for a person. They just don’t know how much they changed her life. This is such a beautiful display of humanity.
December 2, 2019 2:52 pm|
What a touching story, and a wonderful reminder to choose to be kind at every opportunity. Thanks for sharing and making my day.
December 2, 2019 9:22 pm|
Hi Shilpa – such a brilliant story … and how lovely they used the local artistic culture to enhance her tea stall – it certainly catches the eye. Long may she continue to bring in lots of visitors to her tea stall – delightful #WATWB … cheers Hilary
December 3, 2019 9:18 am|
An inspiring story. Thank you for sharing.
December 3, 2019 10:37 pm|
That’s such a lovely heartwarming story Shilpa. One simple act of kindness can sure do wonders. Love inspiring stories like these. Thank you for sharing.
December 4, 2019 7:01 am|
How wonderful of the artists to transform the tea stall. It looks beautiful. And hope it provides a long term source of income, atleast till her kids grow and sustain themselves. This is such a heart warming story on a genuine act of kindness. Thank you for sharing.
December 4, 2019 8:13 am|
I bet the artists enjoyed doing this work. I certainly would. More importantly, their gift made a lasting and positive impact on the Joshi family and the community. Good story!
December 4, 2019 4:33 pm|
“Art is not just intended to be appreciated for its beauty or emotional power. Art has the potential to transform lives too.”
Your opening words are so true, Shilpa. They portray scenes on the canvases of so many of our lives. I really love the simplicity of this story, its inter-generational bridge, and how it is so transformative. You and your blog are such a gift to our WATWB. Thanks for co-hosting with us again.
December 5, 2019 5:57 pm|
How simple things and acts of kindness can transform lives!