Chennai: Born with Asperger’s syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and having dauntlessly faced life-threatening medical conditions, Srinivasa Prasad was relentless to make it big. The dream of his wanting to start a venture where his friends with special needs and him could learn to bake, make things and enjoy, was given wings by his mother, a lady driven by strength and hope. Then started the Sai Bakery at a house in Palavakkam.
Sai Bakery is more than just the waft of cookies and muffins that are baked by adults with special needs. It is a unit that gives wings to Srinivasa and his friends with special needs.
Started under the Dorai (Development Opportunities Resources Access Insight), eight people, each with different special needs, spend the day cooking, baking, gardening, using discarded plastic, making things out of paper and art, and these items are then put up for sale.
Often bubble tops donated by store owners get magically turned into colourful pots, which are then used for growing plants money plant, peppermint, mint, and basil.
“When they are not doing the gardening, they can bake, else they spend time on art, which is therapy for them. This was an initiative to make people with special needs more inclusive. It is a psycho-social development programme,” said Sumithra. “The oldest among these individuals is 60-year-old. She is going strong!”
Dorai foundation aims at activism to make sure that those with special needs are not ignored. With grit and zeal, Srinivasa along with Sumithra and other members of the foundation, promote the work done by the group – among schools, society, colleges, and corporates.Sumithra believes that there is a lot of inequality within the differently-abled. “There are separate schools for each type of disability. If a child doesn’t move out of his zone, how will he learn?” she asks.
“This unit is a transit point, from where they can move ahead in life. It is about making them stand on their own feet and not just finishing school,” she said.Through Dorai Foundation, she is also involved in working for building stronger communities for those from socially deprived sections of the society. Sumithra can be reached at 9500059390.
( DC will feature entrepreneurs who fought their way up and proved themselves as leaders, Be it helping others, or making a change in the world, or taking long strides in their careers if you know anyone who deserves mention for the work they have done, write to chroniclingchennai@gmail.com)
