The Proud Mrs Of Foreign Turf

The Proud Mrs Of Foreign Turf

Who says career and ambitions are dead for women after marriage and motherhood? One look at the Top 30 contestants of Mrs. UK and you’d be proud to see Rashmita Patro, an Odia immigrant, in the list. For a woman who took an extended maternity break to focus more on kids and family and later relocated to her hometown Berhampur for a few years before moving back to London, the journey has been nothing short of overwhelming. After all, this role is her own creation.

Married in 2003, Rashmita moved to London with her husband soon after she gave birth to a daughter in 2006. “I was in a job but post the birth of my daughter I did not go back to work full time. For us, family is a priority and hence, I got busy in bringing up my girl. When my in-laws fell ill, my husband decided to move back to Berhampur. We moved back and my youngest daughter was born in Berhampur. Once my in-laws felt better, they asked us to relocate to London for a better education for our kids and also because we already had a place there.” 

Rashmita and her family moved back to the UK in 2015. Things changed for her a year later when her husband had to be with his parents again. Rashmita took over the charge of maintaining her life in the UK with her daughters while her husband moved back and forth. “Almost a year back, I took the challenge to manage alone with my two daughters. We had mutually decided to relocate, but this time, my husband Sandeep put himself forward to move alone for his mother who was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. As my eldest daughter Archisha made it into a top selective school of UK for her higher studies, I had to support his decision and manage by myself. Because of this challenge, I managed to get a full-time job after a gap of 12 years. I’m really proud of myself for balancing family, work and social life together without any support.”

It was in October that Rashmita came across the pageant – Brandwork Mrs India UK.  She applied in mid-October, appeared the interview in November and got selected in January 2019 as Contestant No. 25. And she owes it all to the appreciation she received managing her work and kids together in the absence of her husband. “I found out, upon research, that it was not all about beauty or good looks. I have always been passionate about dance. I also attended an Odisha Folk Dance workshop almost six months back, and since then have been availing lots of opportunities to showcase folk dance on stage. When I narrated my life story during the interview sessions, the panelists felt I had the strength and confidence to participate in the pageant.”

The experience has been great so far, particularly because Rashmita was exposed to such diverse people. “There are single mothers and divorcees, participating as well. There are three categories depending on the age. The first category is from 25-35 while the second is for women up to the age of 45. This allows us to compete within our space. There will be one winner from all these categories,” she informs. Rashmita and her fellow contestants participated in a pre-scheduled orientation once they were selected. “We recently had a mentor session as well. The pageant has given us hope, enthusiasm and a positive environment. All of us work full time and hence, flexibility is important. All of us appreciate each other. In fact, we call ourselves pageant sisters.”

Rashmita is grateful for the love and support she received from her husband and family, including her daughters who took it upon themselves to let the family back in India know about every interview she gave. “I grew up as a bit of a pessimist since I had a hard childhood. My husband said it would be another responsibility, but one for which I will be living for my own self. He has been really inspiring.” Rashmita is also equally grateful to her community of British-Indians, including the Odia and the North Indian community. “I’m really overwhelmed with the response I have received back home, in my state and country. My motto for the pageant is – be thankful for struggles for they make you who you are,” she signs off.

The results for the final round of Brandwork Mrs India UK are expected this Sunday, the 14th of April.