MOLLY JOY: TRAVELLING TO 11 COUNTRIES WITH EARNING FROM GROCERY STORE
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| Molly Joy, Chitrapuzha, Irumpanam, Ernakulam |
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Decades ago, as a school
student, she had wanted to go for excursions with her classmates. But her parents’ financial condition did not
permit
her to realise her dreams then. Yet,
61-year-old Molly Joy has
travelled to 11 countries in the last 10 years, using the money
she earned while running a small grocery store in her neighbourhood of
Chitrapuzha
in Irumpanam in Ernakulam.
Molly was
married to Joy,
a labourer, who owned the small grocery store.
Since he was a labourer Molly who used to run it. People call it the Lulu Mall of the
neighbourhood as one could buy almost anything from there.
18 years
ago, Joy died. His
son secured employment in a foreign country and her daughter was
married off. So, with not much familial
duties and expenses,
she again dreamt of travelling.
The
magazines and travel
journals being sold in her store helped her visualize the various
places she
wanted to see. Her first trip outside
the State was with her neighbours.
Initially, she was worried about keeping the store opened,
as her son
and daughter were far away. However, she
decided to let go. In that trip, she
visited
places like Palani, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Mysuru etc.
She foots
all her
expenses using income generated from her store.
She never takes out any loan but sometimes pawns her
jewelry. Though she has studied only upto
Class 10, she plans her trips on her own.
As if in
response to her
intense longing to travel, her immediate neighbour Mary requested her
to join
them for a foreign tour. She obtained
her passport in 2010 and made the overseas trip in 2012.
It was a 10-day trip to Europe.
She later
made 15-days
trips each to UK and USA.
