It started as a small dream to open a bakery, but has grown bigger than any possible expectations its founder Sahitya Srinivas Prasad, 30 years old now, would have entertained. It provides a livelihood — not to mention a sense of purpose — to adults like him.
Srinivasa is on the spectrum, having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and Echolalia at age two. That is not all. He was born with Post-hepatic Cirrhosis of the Liver; and Partial Complex Convulsive Seizures and Glycogen Storage Disorder - Type IV were part of the health burdens he had to carry from the word go. When children his age were staring wide-eyed at toys in supermarkets, he was getting accustomed to the sights and sounds of hospital wards. Srinivasa was expected to live for only five years and at the most, seven. But he was obviously not listening to the grim prognosis. He battled and beat several odds to be where he is now, and in the process he created some unlikely records.
In 2008, he became the first student to complete his 10th from the NIOS after being on the ventilator for over 8 weeks. Being ventilator-dependant for such a long time had resulted in partial amnesia and a lack of independent motor abilities. He completed his 12th from Vidya Sagar, a special school for the differently-abled in Kotturpuram.
“I want to bake. I want to start a bakery. I will name it SAI bakery. I will get my friends and we will do it together. That is what Sahitya told me after he finished his 12th. Naturally, I was really excited. I could finally use all these years of experience to support him,” says Dr. Sumithra Prasad, mother of Srinivasa and founder of DORAI Foundation. (Areas that DORAI Foundation operates in include women’s empowerment, advocacy, transgenders’ welfare, counselling for youth, and empowerment of tribal communities).
“His father and I were ready to set up a bakery that would draw in a lot of profit, but he decided against it. He wanted the bakery to be within our living premises, where he and his friends could work together.” With that Society All Inclusive (SAI) Bakery was established in 2013. Sumithra notes that SAI Bakery has inspired similar neighborhood initiatives in Leh, Ladakh, and Punjab, to name a few.
SAI Bakery would go on to evelove into SAI Center in Thiruvanmiyur. Supported by DORAI Foundation, SAI Center seeks to provide a platform for adults with special needs to learn life skills, learn how to socialise, and also contribute to society.
“There are many organisations that provide early intervention and care to special children but not many for adults. Here, we try to boost their confidence and self-esteem by introducing them to a routine while integrating therapy,” Says Sumithra.
They kickstart their day with power yoga, followed by art therapy (creative engagement programme), a ‘sharing and caring’ session (shared lunchtime), an up-cycling activity, dance, music, games, and lastly a gardening activity.
Through SAI creations, their upcycling initiative, they creatively reuse old plastic bottles, newspapers and cardboard. They also make cloth bags and laminated cards that are usually distributed after events as a ‘thank you’ gift.
SAI nursery is another initiative where they learn about nature and gardening.
Sumithra mentions that “All of these activities deal with a lot of different textures. Autistic people are sensitive to touch therefore these activities engage them a lot.”
Srinivasa has succeeded in creating an empowering space for adults like him.
Sumithra says “Earlier, Anand would barely speak to anyone. Now, he is friends with everyone from the center. He even sings and dances with them. At first, Shameena always needed her mother by her side, she would not even go to the toilet on her own, now she travels to the centre by herself which is an achievement in itself. Anjana recently finished college. We have had many success stories. They have been with us and when they felt they were empowered enough and had all the social skills needed to go out in society, they left. And I am happy for them.” I
Sahitya Srinivasa Prasad with his mother Sumithra Prasad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
