Couples who live and work together

There is always a misconception that couples cannot work together. This week, we meet two couples who have succeeded in business rightly because they work together. They epitomize the saying: “Together at every step of life.” [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"10337","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-17914 alignleft","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"300","alt":"Kewin and Emilie"}}]]Kewin and Emilie: The ecological side of love They are both fond of arts, graphics and design. In love, Kewin Kotadoo and Emilie Minator decided to merge their skills and passion into a business. Their ecological concept ‘Cotton Eco Bag’ saw light following the ban on plastic bags. ‘Cotton Eco Bag’ is the fruit of Kewin and Emilie’s love as well as business flair. A degree holder in Graphic Design and Animation, Kewin started to work as graphic designer for a private company in 2012 along with Emilien Jubeau on artistic projects. When did the idea to create ‘Cotton Eco Bag’ blossom? “The project started in 2015. My girlfriend Emilie and I wished to participate in the pop up store and the idea was to create tote bags with graphics designs to show our expertise. But unfortunately, we were not able to participate due to some commitments. The ban on plastic bags led us to develop the Cotton Eco Bag,” reveals the young man. They saw an opportunity and jumped on it. “It is a family business in a sense, as we get help from our relatives. First, I buy the raw materials and do the printing. My mother sews them during her spare time. After that, we give the cotton fabric along with the labels to a local entrepreneur who then stitches them to the bags,” explains Kewin. Emilie brings her personal touch. As a fashion designer, she decides on the design and style. Kewin and Emilie are both proud to say that the setting up of their dream project is a big step forward. “We think Mauritians need to be conscious about the environment and know how to protect it. We encourage people to buy the ‘cotton eco bag’ as a way to protect their environment and stop using plastic bags.” [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"10338","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-17915 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"252","height":"300","alt":"Yogesh and Shweta Ancharaz"}}]]Yogesh and Shweta Ancharaz: “Our strength is our unity” Yogesh Ancharaz (35) and his wife Shweta (29) live and work together. Their strength is their love and understanding. Yogesh is visually impaired while Shweta suffers from a minor physical handicap. Married for four years now, the couple is an example to follow. “We had a love marriage. I was impressed by Shweta’s understanding and commitment. I run the Laventure Technical School for the disabled and with Shweta being now part of the school, it has attained even higher standards. We are performing extremely well together. With her help, I was able to execute big projects. Today, our school has an additional floor and we are soon launching a hydrotherapy unit. All these would not have been possible without her help. I can say unity is strength,” he shares. At school, they take on roles according to their abilities. “Shweta helps me a lot when it comes to administration. She does all the computer work. The way she looks after the children is also remarkable. We both nurture the same vision and dream,” he says. In their tightly-knit couple, understanding prevails. At home, they try to spend maximum time together. “Couple that work together should have a mutual understanding and know how to balance their lives. It is not difficult to maintain a balance. From the beginning itself, we decided that at work, we are colleagues. We resort all school problems at work. Once we reach home, we forget about work and focus on ourselves. Working together is advantageous,” he confides. Shweta is impressed by her husband’s understanding. “We cooperate in whatever we do. Every time we want to do something for the school, we sit and share ideas before taking any decision. Same if there is any obstacle. In any relation, it is important to have a good understanding and share opinions,” she avers.

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