Coconut vendors make a simple living, from a simple product. With a firm hand, they chop off the top of the coconut with their machetes, place a straw inside the coconut water and hand out the perfect refreshment – in nature’s own packaging.
Twenty-nine-year old Suresh has sold coconut water for twelve years. With a four-wheel wooden cart and a machete, as investment, he continues to provide respite for hundreds of thirsty clients with this delicious and healthy drink, often referred as nature’s champagne.
Over a decade ago, infection by cement caused him to switch from working as a manual laborer in the construction industry to a coconut vending entrepreneur, a street hawker, earning about Rs. 200-400 each day.
With coconuts (raw materials) and plastic straws as his recurring costs, his skill in chopping coconuts and his smile attracts thirsty customers. However, his cash turnover depends on the weather. With each changing season his little fortune can soar or shrink. “Winters aren’t the season for coconut water. The highest turnovers are made in the summers”, he says. But the summers bring risks of the coconuts going bad.
All these are not without their consequences. With two small daughters in nursery and primary school, he can’t afford to put them through a private school. “Admission fees alone for private school is Rs. 5000 – how can I pay that much, let alone the fees?” he asks. But his goal is to educate his children so that they don’t have to do what he is doing.
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