A PENARTH woman who has supported a young Indian woman throughout her education is celebrating after she graduated from university at the top of her class and landed her dream job.

Sue Tasher, owner of The Pickled Pepper Indian takeaway in Penarth, has supported 22-year-old Greeshma Vinod since she came across her when she was on holiday in Kerala in January 2007.

She has supported her throughout her studies and encouraged her during her courageous battle to better herself and support her own family.

Greeshma studied civil engineering at university and out of 69 students, 62 men and seven women, graduated top of her class

“She’s a woman working in a man’s world,” said Sue

“Her lecturer said if she finished top of the class he would get her a laptop, and she did with a first class honours degree so he bought her one and she now uses it for work.”

Greeshma has now landed a job as an apprentice working for CGH hotels building luxury apartments, where she is responsible for work on 14 floors of one of the apartment blocks. She is also financing her sister’s education, who wants to go into nursing.

Sue, who now lives in Sully, said that Greeshma’s transformation was “breathtaking”.

“There are no words to describe the achievements she has made for herself,” she said.

“She said she wanted to do it for herself, as well as for me.”

Sue, 55, added that she admired how Greeshma’s had developed into a “beautiful young woman”.

“She sends every single penny back to her parents that live about an hour-and-a-half away from her,” she said.

“It’s been amazing to see her develop. She is now a beautiful young woman who has nothing but respect for her parents.”

Over the years Sue has visited Greeshma several times and is due to fly out there again this Friday, January 3, for nearly three weeks.

Sue is now set to launch a gourmet cookery school in India, dubbed The Kerala Experience, promising to teach holidaymakers how to cook Indian cuisine to a high standard thanks to expert advice from professional chefs.

“I will be taking groups of about ten people from the UK to cook there twice a year,” she said.

“It’s a hands-on cookery class working with a chef that has worked with Rick Stein.”

She added that all of the ingredients would be grown within a five-mile radius of the hotel and that holidaymakers would be given the chance to visit the local spice and fish markets.

The Kerala Experience will also take the holidaymakers on tours of the “backwaters” of Kerala to show them parts of India they wouldn’t usually see.

“I want people to experience more in India than just the tourism,” said Mrs Tasher.

“I want them to see how they live on a daily basis. People only usually see what the travel agent wants them to see. Travel agents will take you on tours, but I want to show them the beautiful parts of India.”

She added: “It’s for people that enjoy food and travel, and for those who don’t want to cook they can just come for the experience.”

The Kerala Experience is set to launch in September 2014. For more information go to www.Keralacookeryexperience.com, email booking@keralaexperience.com or contact 01173250180