Every morning, 60-year-old Raju Divakaran returns to the cardamom fields in Kerala's Idukki district, where he now oversees farming after surviving blood cancer.
Diagnosed in 2019, Raju underwent nearly five years of treatment, including 10 to 12 chemotherapy sessions. Although the treatment left him physically weak, he was determined to return to the land that had supported his family for decades.
Starting with a small patch of farmland, Raju gradually rebuilt his plantation with the unwavering support of his wife, Sarasa, and other family members. Today, the couple cultivates more than four acres of cardamom across three plots in Idukki, working alongside farm labourers every day.
Their plantation follows sustainable practices such as water conservation, mulching, shade regulation and timely disease management to maintain healthy crops. For Raju, farming became an important part of his recovery, helping him rebuild his livelihood after years of battling blood cancer.