They’re graduates of Mumbai’s S.P.J. Sadhana School, where they’ve spent five years acquiring vocational training in catering and hospitality or creative visual arts and crafts. While the male graduates of the school are often absorbed into the mainstream workforce, the females—who are more vulnerable to exploitation—find the going tougher.
This is where Om Creations comes in. In 1991, special educator Dr Radhike Khanna and a few parents put their heads together, united by the firm resolve that special education for the mentally challenged must be matched by employment opportunities. The Om Creations Trust was formed to provide gainful employment and a life of dignity to the special female students of the Sadhana School.
Far from the main road and hidden from public view, the two-room workshop is a bustle of activity. In the "arts department", dyes simmer upon a stove, a Singer sewing machine enjoys a rare free moment—screen-printed paper bags have to be made. There is wrapping paper to be dyed and printed; napkins to be crocheted; bejewelled bag-danglers to be beaded; ceramic mugs and tiles to be painted; and wine bags to be corded and packaged.
"Jo bhi nikalega, ek dum badhiya," shouts art supervisor Archana Mehta with a faux sternness, while she irons paper napkins at breakneck speed. Mehta has been involved in this project for 11 years now. Her 13 workers are too busy to pay heed. At one end of the table, a woman makes neat cross-stitches on a mat. Another is stitching beads on a mobile-phone case.
In the "food department", a rather formal label for the modest front room of the workshop, some 10 women are busy making chocolate and packing it into pretty cellophane wrappers. With headscarves and aprons, they could pass off as workers at any hotel bakery—except, of course, they smile. Playful banter, affectionate scolding and rogue singing can be heard (when old Hindi numbers aren’t blaring on the radio, that is).
There’s no telling that the cheerful employees of Om Creations often walk to work and draw a stipend of Rs 1,000 a month. For the camaraderie of other people like themselves and the satisfaction of doing something useful, the work is well worth it. "This keeps them busy," says Mehta. "Who wants to talk to them at home? Here, they have each other." Nikita Shah, 23, nods in agreement. "I love what I do. It’s my ..." and searching for the words hesitantly, she adds, "... passion."
Perhaps it’s that passion that has people like Mehta and food supervisor Vaishali Waghchaure hooked. After training at Birdy’s and working at the Oberoi’s flight kitchen, Waghchaure is now at Om full-time. "It’s the satisfaction you get at the end of the day," she says, "even though our wish-list is very long." The food department needs a dough-sheeting machine and a tempering machine, even a second-hand one. All this sounds like fancy equipment, but they still grapple with the popular misconception that the mentally challenged can’t be relied upon to prepare food hygienically. Mahadevia, who started the chocolate project last year, says: "What we make has to be twice as good to sell."
She would also like the organisation to expand enough to employ more such women. Volunteers are always needed. "Volunteers give a lot to an organisation because they come out of a love to give," says Mahadevia. Contact: Anand Niketan, King George V Memorial Project, Dr E.Moses Rd, Mumbai—400011.Tel:022- 24972294.
