City NGO helps those with mental illnesses lead better lives, make a living

Until three months ago, K. Yogarasu Kumaran would sleep, wake up, eat, then go to sleep again, all day long, every day.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia, the 25-year-old had shuttled between private mental health facilities for years, but none, he said, had really helped.

Today, Mr. Kumaran, along with two other young men, also recovering from mental illnesses, runs a vegetable shop at Villivakkam market, facilitated by Better Chances, an NGO working in the field of mental wellness.

For a lot of people who are recovering or have recovered from mental illnesses, finding a job is a huge challenge. “This is what we wanted to address. Additionally, we also wanted to make them a part of community and ensure their illness is not stigmatised,” said Porkodi Palaniappan, director of Better Chances.

When Mr. Kumaran decided that enough was enough and that he wanted to change the way he lived, he joined Better Chances. “At first, I had anger issues every day. But over time, I began taking my medication again, and recently, I stood first in the screen-printing class at the centre,” he said.

With vegetables sourced from Koyambedu market and space given to them by the owner of the premises S. Krishnan, the shop, called Roots, is bustling on Saturday morning.

Tomatoes, onions and greens line the front section, and Amul Raj, who was earlier treated for schizophrenia, calls out to customers.

Mr. Raj, said Ms. Palaniappan, thought at one point he would never get out of an institution. Now, he dreams of entering politics some day.

The tables at the shop have been made by a carpenter who has also recovered from a mental illness, said Ms. Palaniappan, and the two women who help out at the shop are mothers of children with Down Syndrome.

“The idea is to empower people — both those with illness and caregivers — with opportunities to work,” she said, adding she hopes to facilitate more such initiatives soon.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Zubeda Hamid / Chennai – October 12th, 2014