A stubborn will to live: Kuttiyamma’s journey from isolation to belonging

For 25 years, Kuttiyamma (74) lived alone in a leaking hill-side shack in Kodom-Belur. No pension. No ration card. No documents. Just a fierce independence and a stubborn will to live life on her terms. When the government first found her, officials suggested a shelter home — she refused to leave the land she had held on to for decades. In the end, the State relented. Under Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme, Kuttiyamma finally received a home, pension and support — without surrendering her autonomy. Even today, she still cooks in her old hut, climbs the slope on her own, and guards her independence.

This is the story of a woman who lived without asking, survived without complaining, and quietly forced the system to see her. This is part of the Onmanorama’s series of Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme.

Producer: George Poikayil
Editor: Nithin Paul