Srinagar, Nov. 14 : Rubeena Tabasum of Chadoora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam District today represents a small-town success story perfect enough to attract any film producer’s attention.

Recipient of the Women Entrepreneur Award, 2007 she has risen in life as a florist.

Rubeena, in her early thirties, attributes her success to a radio programme that prompted her take up floriculture.

“I didn't want to do any routine job. I heard about EDI (Entrepreneur Development International) on radio that it was training people to start their own ventures. The training was related to community floriculture, ” said Rubeena.

“I attended the 10-day training programme along with my cousins. Later, we started our own business, " she added.

Rubeena took up the cut flowers trade, cultivating carnations under controlled temperature and humidity conditions on a piece of land given by her in-laws. She was financially helped by the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. She was provided technical know-how by the Department of Agriculture.

She diversified her business and tried out various other profitable things. She presently has five greenhouses of carnations and lilies and an open field of gladioli, also known as spiked lily in her horticulture farm.

"We wanted somebody to do something in this field so that we could show achievement to people. This lady (Rubeena Tabasum) made it happen. We had this incentive regarding high-tech floriculture, which we made available for her. She's doing a great job, as she does all the marketing, " said G. N. Baba, Agriculture Officer in Chadoora.

Rubeena also had her share of hiccups while pursuing this career.

"Earlier, my family members had some inhibitions about me starting a business. But when they realised that it would become a job-generating unit, they permitted me to pursue it, " added Rubeena Tabasum

There have been inhibitions among people to work under a woman, but Rubeena has been able to rope in dedicated men in her project.

"Earlier, people had negative approach regarding women working in fields. They thought that women could only work in carpet-designing kind of work, since it is done indoors. But this business involves lot of outdoor work that she handles really well, " sad Azad, an employee.

With over a dozen workers assisting her and an annual turnover of about two to three million rupees already, Rubeena plans to export flowers.

Today, she is an inspiration particularly for those women of the valley who wish to pursue a career in floriculture. (ANI)