A message of hope and positivity: IIMB hosts opening of NSRCEL-incubated Mitti Café at the campus
The café, run and managed by adults with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities, is aligned to IIMB’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
22 July, 2024, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore hosted the opening of NSRCEL-incubated Mitti Café, run and managed by adults with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities, at the institute campus earlier this evening. Currently, more than 35 Mitti Cafés are operating in institutions and public spaces including Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Supreme Court of India.
Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the venture assuring them of a supportive environment at IIMB, for it to function successfully. He said, “Mitti Café is a pioneering initiative working towards economic independence and dignity for adults with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities and persons from other vulnerable communities. This will be an important testament to our commitment to diversity and inclusion on campus.” Making a positive impact on environment and society is in the very ethos of IIMB.
Also present at the inauguration were other senior faculty and staff of the institute, including, Prof. M Jayadev, Dean, Administration; Prof. Rajendra K Bandi; former Dean, Administration; Prof. U Dinesh Kumar, Dean, Faculty; Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula of the Entrepreneurship area; Col. (Retd.) S D Aravendan, CAO, and mentors and members from NSRCEL including Anand Sri Ganesh, COO, NSRCEL, amongst others. They congratulated Mitti Café on making their enterprise scalable, profitable and sustainable, and wished the social venture luck to do well and much more. They also conveyed the message that we could all become disability allies through the right focus and training.
Thanking IIM Bangalore for offering the opportunity to set up the café at the institute campus, Alina Alam, CEO and Founder, Mitti Café, said, “We are thankful to IIM Bangalore and our donor Arcesium who have helped us open the café in such a prestigious institution, which will in turn help us send a strong message of inclusion to the public at large and sensitize them to the lives of persons with disabilities. We are excited about the economic and social opportunities the café presents to our staff, for many of whom this is their very first job. The event holds immense emotional significance for us, as Mitti's journey began at NSRCEL. My heartfelt thanks to NSRCEL for the selfless mentorship and guidance which has brought us to this momentous occasion.” Alina Alam runs and operates a chain of cafés managed by persons with disabilities, who are mostly from low-income communities. Mitti aims to generate livelihood and skills for persons with disabilities as well as create awareness on disability inclusion.
Echoing Alina’s thought, Swati Dokania, COO and Director, Mitti Café, said, “To be able to run a café managed by adults with disabilities at the iconic IIM Bangalore campus, in association with Arcesium, will send a very strong message around diversity and inclusion to the community, especially the youth who have the potential to fuel and accelerate the movement of inclusion.”
Ayesha Alam, CFO and Director, Mitti Café, shared that this endeavor not only offered them a valuable platform, but also enabled them to extend employment opportunities to individuals facing disadvantages. “Through this initiative, we aim to promote a message of hope and positivity within the community”, she added.
Another spokesperson from Mitti Café said after the opening of the café that it was a privilege to have the student community participate in enabling employment opportunities for those who are disadvantaged, and spread a message of hope and positivity. “It is very inspirational to see how Mitti Café has created such an amazing concept of inclusive cafés across the country which are paving the way for social change through empowerment of persons facing disadvantages. This concept and approach deeply resonates with IIM Bangalore’s commitment to inclusivity, as stated by Professor Rishikesha Krishnan.”
The café inauguration included song and dance performances by Mitti Café members as well as the national anthem, also performed in sign language. The IIMB community and the mentors participated wholeheartedly in the celebrations.
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