YUMMY CAKES TO ANIMAL RIGHTS, THIS 15-YR-OLD HAS A RECIPE FOR PASSION

CHENNAI: She has a youthful enthusiasm in her voice and a big smile on her face while narrating her journey as an entrepreneur, public speaker, and YouTube anchor. Not surprising. For, Keshika Manohar is just a 15-year-old who is just in Class 11.

What transformed her to who she is now was the pandemic. “Out of boredom during the COVID-19 lockdown, I started cooking. It was my sister Krithiga who suggested starting my own brand. I was 12 years old when K’s Kitchen was launched,” begins Keshika, who has completed a Master’s course in baking.

What started off with pickles, jam, paniyaram, and brownies, has taken Keshika to being an expert in baking wedding and birthday cakes. “When I began my journey as a baker, I didn’t even have an oven. Seeing my interest, my parents gifted me one on my birthday. Now, I have my own baking studio where we conduct classes and workshops,” she says.

A self-confessed extrovert, Keshika is fond of public speaking and is also an anchor. Her public speaking skills have taken her to places and grabbed a few opportunities as well.

Keshika is also a pet lover and the brand ambassador of Heaven For Animals, a Chennai-based NGO working towards animal protection. “In Heaven For Animals, we feed 4,000 strays every day and have provided 6,000 water bowls to beat the scorching heat of the summer. The NGO also takes care of the vaccination and often organises pet adoption drives,” says Keshika, who voices out against animal cruelty. The NGO has also started south-India’s first cloud kitchen for stray animals called Heaven For Animals Kitchen.

When asked how she juggles her studies and passion, Keshika says that being an average student, she opted for open schooling after completing her eighth grade. Firm on achieving her dream of ensuring the success of K’s Kitchen, she shifted from CBSE to open schooling.

Like how we have to fight against the odds to achieve what we want, one such hurdle came in Keshika’s journey, which pushed her to the extent of being forced to pause her dream. “It was easy during the quarantine period as we had online classes. But once the offline classes started in 2021, I was pushed to a point where the functioning of K’s Kitchen was stopped for two months,” adds the young entrepreneur.

A moment that Keshika would cherish all her life is baking a birthday cake for Governor RN Ravi. “I got featured as a young achiever in an e-magazine, the launch of which happened at the Raj Bhavan. There, I had an opportunity to interact with Ravi sir and asked if I could prepare a cake for him. He wanted to celebrate his birthday with the young achievers across the city. I was tensed as I reached the venue with my two-tier cake. I was dumbstruck when I fed him a piece after the cake cutting,” shares Keshika with a hearty smile. Her parents were the pillars of support right from the beginning to achieve her ambition of starting a café for K’s Kitchen. Their trust and encouragement motivated Keshika to not stop, but achieve more.

Drawing inspiration from entrepreneur CK Kumaravel, and her father, Manohar for his multi-tasking and hardworking nature, Keshika believes that with the right guidance, everyone can follow their passion. “Children should prove their talent to parents. If a kid is consistent with her passion and can balance her education and interests, parents will start supporting. I believe in productivity with fun so that I can go forward with my dream and also make memories with the people I cherish,” says Keshika, who is waiting to add another feather to her hat.