At first glance, the three-bedroom flat in a gated community in Yapral looks like any other home. Shoes are neatly lined up by the door, a pressure cooker hisses in the kitchen and soft conversation drifts from the dining table. Nothing seems unusual, until you meet the residents.
Kameshwari, Tayamma, Sirisha, Sarada and Ganti Padmavathi are adults with special needs, staying together and redefining what independent living can be. Every morning, they divide chores — rolling chapatis, washing clothes, keeping the home tidy — while a full-time caretaker steps in only when required.
Special-needs women and children receive training in stitching, arts, and other vocational skills at Swayamkrushi, an institute for persons with intellectual disabilities, in Chennapur, Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.
This home is one of five such residences across northern Hyderabad, including Balaji Nagar, Shaili Gardens, Kapra and Dammaiguda, each housing six residents. They look like any other home in the neighbourhood, deliberately so. “We didn’t want these homes to stand out because inclusion means blending in, not being set apart,” says Manjulaa Kalyaan, founder of Swayamkrushi, the organisation behind the initiative.
