Laid off due to pandemic, Vizag teacher turns vegetable seller in Guntur

When lockdown struck last year, the deserted streets of Vizag had an eerie vibe to them. While the world was worried about the virus, R Dileep Kumar, a middle school English teacher in Vizag, had a different battle to fight. Spending every day and night confined to the four walls of his quaint apartment at MVP Colony seemed like a task in itself.

It is a known fact that the pandemic affected the world in more ways than one. With businesses enduring losses, industries shutting down, the economy indeed took a huge hit. Dileep was one such humble employee at a renowned private educational institute here in Vizag, who was let go from his responsibilities as a teacher owing to the pandemic. Speaking with team Yo! Vizag, Dileep narrates his story of joining his family business in Guntur, after teaching middle school students for over a year in Visakhapatnam.

“The 2 months spent in Vizag without any employment, during the lockdown period, was emotionally exhausting. I couldn’t even step out of my flat to get some fresh air. The only thing I could rely on to calm my wits was yoga. I religiously practised yoga for 2 hours every morning,” shared Dileep. With a passion for teaching, Dileep found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t be able to step into the class, he was extremely fond of, ever again. Speaking about the inception of his business, Dileep said, “During this time is when my uncle from Guntur and me had a conversation about how basic food essentials are hard to get our hands-on. Hence, we came up with the idea of setting up our own vegetable stall in Guntur.”

“Since our discussion, my uncle had already set-up a shop there and I took the first bus back home after the travel restrictions were lifted. To be honest, it was a huge shift from the scheduled life as a teacher to this erratic lifestyle of a businessman. My day starts at 4:30 AM and ends at 9:00 PM. I found it very difficult at first but now, I’d hands down agree that I’m more satisfied with what I do than ever before,” says Dileep on adapting to his new life in Guntur.