Empowering Youth Enterprises (EYE)

Before joining the EYE MANEDA initiative in 2022, Abishua’s life was marked by uncertainty. A visually impaired artisan and father of five living near Mt. Everest Auto Parking in Senapati, he had the skill to craft wooden stools by touch but no clear path to turn that skill into a steady livelihood. With limited income and no access to capital, he struggled to provide consistently for his large family, and his dream of running his own small enterprise felt out of reach.

Everything began to change when he became part of EYE MANEDA. Through hands-on, touch-based training, Abishua refined his craft and learned to produce stools with better finish and durability. The program did not stop at technical skills; it walked with him as he learned to think like an entrepreneur. He attended capacity-building workshops that strengthened his ability to improve product quality, engage customers, handle sales, and manage inventory in a small shop. Exposure visits and knowledge-sharing events further broadened his outlook and built his confidence.

With this support, Abishua opened a small shop under his own name, Abishua Danii Handcraft. For the first time, his work traveled beyond his immediate locality. He showcased his handcrafted stools at exhibitions and fairs in Guwahati, where his products were seen, appreciated, and purchased by new customers. These platforms helped him connect with traders and fellow artisans, expanding his market and giving him visibility not as a “visually impaired person” but as a skilled craftsperson with a growing brand.

Today, Abishua runs a recognized micro-enterprise with a fixed place of work and regular production. His household income has become more predictable, enabling him to better meet his children’s daily needs, support their education, and manage health expenses with less stress. He no longer waits for occasional work; he creates, sells, and grows his business on his own terms. In his community, he has become a quiet but powerful role model. Neighbours and other persons with disabilities now look at him and see what is possible when the right training, encouragement, and opportunity come together.

Abishua often says that EYE MANEDA gave him more than skills—it gave him dignity, identity, and hope. With continued support to upgrade his workshop, improve his shop space, and strengthen packaging and marketing, he aims to increase the quality and volume of his production, reach more customers within and outside Senapati, and secure a stable, growing income for his family. Most of all, he wants to inspire other persons with disabilities to believe that they, too, can build their own enterprises and shape their futures. His journey from uncertainty to enterprise is a living example of how disability-inclusive entrepreneurship support can transform vulnerability into leadership and turn a small craft into a sustainable livelihood.