Defying the Dictum

The book is a biography of Dr. Mallamma Yalawar, a woman of grit, based on oral interviews. In 1986 she started ‘Sabala’- an organisation for women empowerment in the hinterlands of Karnataka. Bijapur district in the northern part of Karnataka was oblivious to the growth story of the rest of Karnataka state. In such a scenario, Mallamma Yalawar defied all odds to start an NGO and has persisted with her goal for the last 30 years. The organisation today is part of the World Fair Trade Organisation and Mallamma is the Vice President of World Fair Trade Organisation- Asia. Leaving her ancestral village with just Rs. 2 in hand and building a success story purely with hard work and dedication, Mallamma Yalawar’s story will be an inspiration to young women and men to set out to achieve their dreams. The writing style is not strictly biographical but of a free flowing novel of one’s life and its various twists and turns.