Interview with Sangeetha

“We are three of us, my mother my sister and me”

Sangeetha has been working at Annapurna for 25 years.

Sangeetha, how old were you, when you first came to the farm and where do you come from?

“I come from Olynthia Pattu, a small village nearby. For me it was more or less natural to work here because my mother, Sengani, and my sister Sumathi were already working in Annapurna. When I came I was 12 years old.”

Do you remember your first working day?

“Yes, very well. My first activity was to go out and cut cow grass for the cows. I was too young for milking. My first milking I did when I was 22.”

I know, that you are an excellent cook, but this is not the focus of your Annapurna work.

“I have specialized in cheese and the main place I am working in is the cheesery. For two years now we have the cheesery and the cool room. That is really an improvement. It was Brooks who introduced me into cheese making. I am grateful for that. I like my job very much. And best of all I like our paneer.”

You have seen a lot of people coming and going in your 25 years. That must be interesting to see so many individuals appear and disappear. And what do you like in particular on the farm?

“Yes, very fascinating all these different individuals. The work on the farm has so many facets. Many interesting persons have joined us here. In particular I enjoyed the company of Ivana, Carla and Ashok. They gave me great company. My greetings to them, in case they read this interview. In particular I like celebrating Pongal here. That’s great.”