Kaitley means teapot. It is an initiative to create and provide employment opportunities to the ones who have survived mental illness and bring about a change in society.
So many of us talk about how important mental health is, but very few works towards promoting mental health awareness. Only handful of us have taken a step forward and helped the mental illness survivors.
Ambareen Abdullah lent her hand forward to help these people and bring about a positive change in society in both terms of employment generation and way of thinking.
Founder’s Background
Ambareen Abdullah was born and brought up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She loves to interact with people and do something for their betterment. While pursuing her graduation in Psychology or Masters in Mental Health from TISS, she has always been keen on developing skills and learning how to work for the betterment of society.
She completed her master’s in clinical psychology. We can say that her kind nature is something she has inherited from her parents, who worked to preserve the cultural heritage of the city.
Cause Behind the Initiative
During her Masters’ days, a strange thing caught her attention. It was nothing other than the social stigma around people with mental disorders that have been existing for a long time. It hasn’t stopped it yet. Her determination and interest to work against this stigma grew stronger after observing such things.
Kaitley – The Initiative
Kaitley was co-founded by Ambareen Abdullah and Fahad Azim, a close friend of hers and he also became her partner later in life. The people who work here have either never worked before or had left work for increasing the burden of their mental illness.
With the help of an appropriate training center, the drawbacks in their work and functioning are taken care of. This helps them become a responsible employee and also takes up roles in their families efficiently.
On asking why tea was chosen as a medium for bringing about this change over other alternatives, Fahad said that tea is both easy to prepare and pocket-friendly. Tea is something people go out to the streets for most often. And above it all, learning how to prepare tea is easy and the most convenient skill for people who are not witnessing the peak of their skills because of their mental disorders.
The Success Story
Now Kaitley has 13 vendors working with them who are suffering from severe mental health issues. Another inspiring story from Kaitley family is that two individuals have successfully graduated and decided to work in their sustainable establishments.
Abhishek, who was once a teacher in a reputed school, was later diagnosed with schizophrenia along with OCD and had to leave his job. He had joined Kaitley and after clear and remarkable improvements; he is now all set to start his cafe at a space in his house.
Ambareen confessed that it’s natural to see normal people go out and work, but seeing people with mental health issues go to work and earn a living brings a sense of satisfaction and happiness. They have also helped several individuals and made them a part of society. The team also guided them to take up family responsibilities and feel an integral part of the family like a normal person.
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