Channels for the challenged

Have you ever received or gifted a bouquet of brown roses? Offered by Om Creations, these chocolate rose lollipops become particularly appealing when you learn of the incredible effort that has gone into their making, for each stem, gift-wrapped in colorful paper, is the handiwork of differently abled women, many of whom suffer from Down’s Syndrome. This presentation comes from Om Foods, one of the three divisions of Om Creations Trust that has been nurturing these "special workers” for the last over 15 years.

There are 50 mentally challenged adults aged between 20 and 55 years who find their self worth, depending on their inherent aptitude, at Om Foods, Om Flowers or Om Visual Arts and Crafts run by the Om Creations Trust. At the inception of the Trust "we had decided that there would be no retirement” forced on any of the handicapped ladies, reveals founder-trustee Thrity Shastri. Looking at their faces, it is difficult to guess their age but senility, Alzheimer’s, hallucinations have already set in among a few of them, explains the president of the Trust Kersi Kapadia.

Earlier the life span of Down’s Syndrome patients was around 40 years. "Now it is increasing because they continue to be active. For them the greatest blessing is to have such a shelter and workshop,” comments Ranjana Maha­devia who takes a keen interest in the activities of the differently abled women, having known them from the time they did their five-year training program in their chosen field — visual arts, craft, hospitality and catering — at the S. P. J. Sadhana School run at the Sophia College compound. "Since they continue to be productive, there is no regression in their life,” she compares the women who come here with those whose parents don’t want to send their wards outside. Referring to their high energy levels she observes that channelizing their talents builds up their self worth.

It is primarily to impart professional skills to the mentally challenged and make them productive contributors that Om Creations was jointly initiated in 1991by "anchor” Dr Radhike Khanna, a visionary special educator, along with some of the parents of young mentally challenged girls who were studying at the S. P. J. Sadhana School for the Mentally Challenged. Shastri well recalls her daughter Niloufer’s graduation day from Sadhana School. Niloufer was so unhappy at the prospect of not being required to attend School any longer that she just threw her graduation cap and certificate behind the stage. Thus on the invitation of another parent Durga Jain, also a trustee of Om Creations, Niloufer and Jain’s daughter Vasudha along with three other mentally challenged girls would meet on Saturday mornings and use their time productively. Later the meetings increased to twice a week and once Om Creations had at their disposal a barrack at Anand Niketan at Mahalaxmi to bring together all activities under one roof, the "special workers” have been coming in six days a week. Some like Kapadia’s daughter Kamal prefer to put in a five-day week doing different jobs like stitching, embroidery, packing, sealing with a tape, and her latest fascination, quilling with a tool.

Exuding warmth and cheerfulness, the "special workers” are happy to welcome a visitor in their midst. Their speech may be slurred and occasionally incomprehensible but with their penetrating eyes, smiling faces and small expressive hands, communication is not hampered. While some of them were busy making pasta, others were "cutting cabbage for the ‘cuff’ (they meant puff)” being readied for a party order. Dwelling on their commitment and absorption in their work, we were surprised with a spontaneous embrace from one of the ladies from the neighboring table who wanted to show us the onions she had been chopping since morning.

In another room exquisite paper/tissue bags were being readied by the "special workers,” each of whom has a earmarked task assigned to her whether it is twisting the cord, tying a knot, punching a hole, inserting in the bags the promotional leaflet on Om Creations… With amazing candor and in total innocence, one of them had apparently remarked to an earlier visitor: "You only pay money and buy this batwa (pouch) but do you know there are 17 steps to making this bag?”

Every individual’s inputs are considered valuable. When they crochet their circular table mats, the most dexterous worker starts with the center portion and then hands it over to the second worker who can take care of the middle portion while the novice handles the outer rim, we learn from their caregiver Archana Mehta. In fact they take their duties so seriously that if any other person were to perform the task with a little less perfection, they show signs of impatience.

Even the ceramic plates that they paint are so professional, exults Mahadevia, that she "feels inadequate” in comparison to them. Once she thought she would prove to them that she too had the potential when one of them pointedly told her "These are for sale” implying that she was not up to the mark. In the cookery section too, they have their areas of specialization, each taking pride in their individual efforts, and while one may be happiest washing vessels, another is assigned the task of manning the ovens and they actually feel affronted when anyone trespasses on their delegated duties, conveys Zaver Sepoy, one of the voluntary aids for Om Creations who having worked for the Taj and an international bank earlier uses her corporate connections to promote the Om Creations products and cause. The regular Diwali and Christmas parties that the Taj hosts for the differently abled members of Om Creations are primarily due to her contacts.

(Top row): Bazaar Day inaugurated by Indu Shahani (at the mike) as other trustees and Mandira Bedi look on; (center): "special workers” absorbed in their duties; (below): handiwork of Om Creations

Outings, movies are part of their social life too. Mehta recalls her unfounded fears when it was decided to take them for a movie the very first time. Knowing their urinary problems, all of them were taken to the toilet before they entered the cinema hall. She worried whether they would fear the dark but they happily sat through that experience and many others that followed. In fact Bollywood songs and dances are familiar to most of them, adds Mahadevia who has accompanied them on several of their out-of-Bombay trips to Pondicherry, Rantham­bore, Singapore… "Without the stress and anxieties created by their parents, they manage quite well in fact. They even look after each other.” Recently one of them earned a special gift from her peer because "she remembered to give me medicine when I was not well.”

Their last vacation was in Punjab when she enjoyed looking at the puppet shows and the dance programs, states Vahishta Major who is in the transition phase from Sadhana School to Om Creations, and hence reports at the workshop twice a week. But like all other "special workers” when Om Creations’ artists were called upon to assist couturier Hemant Trivedi’s fashion show, she too had to work an extra hour each day to get the saris and garments ready on time. And the highlight of the efforts was the "special workers” walking down the ramp themselves.

"So great is their confidence,” comments Kapadia alluding to his daughter’s insistence that she sign in at the Bombay Gymkhana herself instead of the parents. When he explained to her that only members can sign, she demanded that she be made a member too! The apprehensive father approached the Gymkhana president who told him to bring her before the committee. Although the father wondered how she would manage the interrogation, he was surprised with her self assurance that ultimately won over the committee. While Kamal had learnt reading and writing at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, before she progressed to the Sadhana School, Nilofer started at the Clare Road Convent and then went to the New Activity School where a teacher Hilla Banaji took special interest in her progress, acknowledges Shastri.

The products made at Om Creations range from unique items created from paper, tissue, beads, cane, cork, ceramic, earthenware; crochet and embroidery work; paintings; and their catering division offers health snacks, cookies, brownies, pastries, various types of cakes and their handmade gourmet chocolates. Just a week prior to Raksha Bandhan they had created special chocolate slabs for the occasion and were marketing two slabs with the batwa for Rs 120 or Rs 140 depending on whether the choice was plain chocolate or with cashews. For the Diwali and New Year occasions they hope to garner additional orders for their chocolate rose bouquets priced at Rs 300 for the big one or Rs 130 for the small one. Assorted chocolate boxes are available for Rs 210 (single tray) or Rs 430 (three trays).

Kersi Kapadia (left) and Thrity Shastri

Besides the sales outlet at the barrack, they also tried to promote their products through the Bazaar Day they organized on the Anand Niketan premises last year which was inaugurated by the sheriff of Bombay Dr Indu Shahani. There are others too who have been promoting Om Creations like their brand ambassador Mandira Bedi, former model Mehr Jesia-Rampal, head and deputy head of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School Zarene Munshi and Farida Taraporevala who generated interest in Om Creations by participating in the last Mumbai Marathon, regular donors like Maneckji and Sirinbai Neterwala Foundation, Nargesh Khurshedji Dady Public Charitable Trust, the executors/trustees of the estate of late N. S. Dubash, and the Lions Club of Byculla, amongst others. With no support from the government, this registered charitable trust takes pride in announcing that they have been allotted 100 percent income tax exemption under section 35AC/80 GGA(2) of the Income Tax Act and are authorized to receive foreign contributions too. They therefore seek support for their corpus or building fund, civil structural repairs, procurement of capital assets or raw materials, project funding to continue their programs…

"You can help us grow by spreading awareness of our cause, by buying our products regularly, by introducing our products in retail shops in your neighborhood, by marketing our products or volunteering your time and skills,” notes their appeal. They are happy to have the voluntary services of Roshni Sinor who, after working for 40 years with the Israeli consulate, now helps out at Om Creations. Yasmin Sarkari comes in twice a week to assist with art and craft, we are introduced to the Parsi volunteers. However their most crucial need is funding or donations towards their projects, their cause… "We’re now ready to take our next big leap; empower more such women, revamp our infrastructure to accommodate them…” mentions the appeal.

"Lack of space is hampering our growth,” comments Kapadia, an architect by profession, saying they are looking for three-four acres of land. With the special workers aging as also their parents, Shastri who used to formerly work for Johnson and Johnson feels they could consider starting a residential shelter for the beneficiaries. Presently they occupy around 900 sq ft at Anand Niketan and three rooms at the BMC School at Gilder Lane for which they have to pay compensation explains their administrative assistant Hoshang Chacha. From their extension center at the BMC School they also operate the Om Medicare Clinic that treats all mentally challenged ladies and children and helps them as also their families to cope with their disabilities.

In India, the onus of caring for and providing for the differently abled falls totally on the parents, regrets Kapadia. In fact such handicaps are not recognized by the government. "There is no insurance policy to cover the mentally challenged.” Nevertheless the parents are heartened that with individuals like Sister E. Gaitonde, the principal of Sadhana School and Khanna who believe in the children, the most challenged person becomes productive. In fact, the team at Om Creations, almost as if in a relay, laud Khanna’s dedication in bringing these challenged persons into the mainstream: Over the years she has succeeded in securing employment for some of them at the Taj and the Oberoi; drawn the government’s attention to NGOs like theirs which she believes deserve to be recognized as educational institutions instead of bracketing them with social welfare groups; won awards for her efforts in the field of persons with disability. She is a qualified auditory integration therapist as also trained in the use of a sensory scoptic syndrome scanner…

Recognizing the assets of the differently abled is itself an art. The mentally challenged women at Om Creations were seen to have a predominantly indigo aura, remarks Sepoy, referring to the time when her brother, settled abroad, specially brought in his machine to determine the colors in their aura. Devoid of any ego or pride, "these are souls who have come for our spiritual growth,” maintains Mahadevia. "They are here for us. We are not here for them.”

Om Creations Trust, Anand Niketan, King George V Memorial Project, Dr E. Moses Road, Bombay 400011. Tel: 91-22-24972294, Telefax: 91-22-24923635, Mobile: +91 9819470544, E-mail: om_creations@vsnl.net www.omcreations.com