Social enterprise opens doors for adults with intellectual disability

Suchiram Foods has made a humble beginning, engaging the differently abled in its unit

Common cold has forced intellectually challenged Sridhar R to stay away from work for a week but he is longing to get back. From his home in Keelkattalai to Kumaraswamy Avenue in Sholinganallur, Sridhar takes pride in directing the autorickshaw or leading his mother to the small unit where he is an ‘intern’. Here, he spends a few hours weighing and packing items – an activity that he seems to be liking so far. Recently, with the ex gratia he earned, Sridhar wanted to buy a digital watch.

“We are happy to see him engaged as it is after a long search that we found an enterprise ready to take him,” says Vijaya Rangabhashyam, Sridhar’s mother.

By roping in two neuro-diverse individuals, Suchiram Foods, a Chennai-based start-up that launched its operations in October last year, has made a humble beginning in opening up opportunities for people with special needs.