YCT initiative Cafe Arpan employs people with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities in Mumbai

 

The employees of Café Arpan striking a happy pose for the camera(photo credit: CafeArpan)

It is truly a confronting situation for any country in the world to provide employment to its youth. Especially in India where there is a large population density. In such a situation, Finding employment for differently-abled individuals remains a challenge both in India or even in the broader world. In such a situation, challenges associated with intellectual and developmental disabilities  make it more difficult to keep a job.

Though, today many Indian and foreign companies are taking initiatives to provide employment, which is based on the unique capabilities of autistic individuals.

Mumbai based NGO Yash Charitable Trust (YCT), that has been providing skill development and livelihood opportunities to adults with IDDs since 2014, started Cafe Arpan in 2018 in Juhu Road, which seeks to employ people with developmental disabilities. The trust and the cafe are operated by Dr Sushama Nagarkar along with Ashaita Mahajan who is the co-founder of the cafe and the trustee of YCT.

Café Arpan, a one-of-its-kind establishment where all servers, kitchen and counter assistants have some kind of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).These 18 full time employees handle everything–from greeting the customers to cooking and serving for them. The cafe is an inclusive space for everybody as it encourages specially-abled people to come.

Ashaita Mahajan and Aarti Nagarkar at Café Arpan. (Photo Credit: Yash Charitable Trust)

Ashaita  Mahajan who was inspired by  her first cousin and Dr Nagarkar’s daughter Aarti (with Autism) said: “Knowing how much Aarti would thrive in a setting where she gets to meet and talk to different people was an exciting prospect. Therefore, in 2017, I quit my full-time job and started working on this dream project”

Social challenges persist due to a lack of awareness and the means to train and integrate these employees. “We realized that employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities are little,” Mahajan said. “Many people may not find it easy to employ people like them because they require a lot of support, for which many don’t have the means or don’t know how to do that.”

“You can see employees in CafeArpan with developmental and intellectual disabilities (PwIDDs) like autism, Downs’ syndrome, cerebral palsy to greeting the guests, serving meals and also tossing sandwiches back in the kitchen.The cafe takes inspiration from a simile initiative in Manila, Philippines—Puzzle Cafe, which was started by a family to provide employment for their autistic son”-She added.

Mahajan feels that work should be for everyone, even for the people with IDD as they are also a inseparable  part of our society, she agreeing to the fact that families of specially-abled are now more inclined and open to the possibility that their unit is capable of being independent and living a meaningful life."When Cafe Arpan was launched, we went viral on WhatsApp and social media. Many families approached to hire their sons, daughters, siblings etc. There are so many adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities sitting idle at home or wasting away in sheltered workshops."

Nikhil Sharma who has Asperger’s syndrome  is one of the two counter assistants at Café Arpan; (right) Chef Aaron(autistic) preparing a pasta dish. (Photo Credits: Yash Charitable Trust, Koumudi Chouhan)

The objective behind the establishment of this cafe is to overcome the social biases and stigma by employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism and making them a part of the regular workforce.

Located across the SNDT Women’s University’s Juhu campus in Santacruz West, Café Arpan plays host to dozens of customers every day who wander in for its inhouse focaccia bread sandwiches, methi puri chaat, nachni wraps, hummus and falafel, among other small bites and hot & cold beverages.

“We also offer plenty of gluten-free, vegan and Jain options. The Café has a lovely aroma of coffee at all times, thanks to our star beverage-maker Anand who measures all ingredients to the ‘t’. We’ve been told several times that his cold coffee is the best our customers have had in the city,” says Ashaita.

Café Arpan now enjoys a very good popularity within the neighbourhood, its humble beginnings are to be traced to a dabba (tiffin) provider introduced by means of YCT in 2015 with a crew of simplest 4 contributors, together with Aarti.

“We had determined to transform a family-owned storage in Vikhroli to a small kitchen and collaborated with a house chef, beginning with catering to her current consumers. Sooner than we knew it, we had long past viral on WhatsApp. Via 2017, we had about 15 contributors and the kitchen used to be beginning to develop into crowded. That’s once we first began conceptualising Café Arpan,” says Ashaita, including that the Dabba (Tiffin) provider used to be later rebranded to Arpan Meals Products and services. (Source: Manila Casino News)

It is estimated that 3 per cent of India’s population, or 31 million individuals, live with IDDs, as per a ResearchGate report. Covering a wide spectrum of conditions such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome, down syndrome, and cerebral palsy, IDDs often present at birth and distinctively impact an individual’s physical, intellectual, emotional and/or social skills.

YCT currently focuses on two mutually exclusive aspects of adult life (skilling and supported employment and counseling and therapies) which serve as a platform to assist people with IDDs to successfully transition into adulthood by providing supported opportunities to earn a livelihood and develop meaningful relationships within the community.

Before Cafe Arpan was launched, the team members were given basic soft skills training. “We had them role-play and demonstrate how they would greet and serve a guest in their own home. The responses were personal and helped us set a benchmark of what to expect. We conducted food and drink prep sessions, and prepared standard recipes for the team to learn. For those who cannot read, we created flowcharts and used pictograms. All the team members exceeded our expectations and took on their roles with confidence and enthusiasm. Presently, the team members are a mixed bag of personalities, talent and skill. At Cafe Arpan the youngest team member is 22 and the oldest is over 50. Even during the Corona lockdown Zoom sessions were extensively used  to keep the team connected and engaged.  Mahajan said to TheEconomicTimes.Com

LIVA Miss Diva Supranational 2021 Ritika Khatnani visited Cafe Arpan, said: "Cafe Arpan has my heart! What an absolutely incredible initiative"

Reigning queen Ritika Khatnani, who has been busy training and preparing for her international stint, recently visited Café Arpan and spent quality time with the differently-abled staff. “Cafe Arpan has my heart! What an absolutely incredible initiative. More power to them. Diversity, inclusivity, and acceptance all the way. Pure bliss spending time with honestly the coolest and best posers in town, such wonderful beings,” exclaimed the queen as she shared her experience.