It was with a lot of passion and some nervousness that Simply Ghar Ka and Yash Charitable Trust launched a dabba service a month ago this week. We began with nine adults with developmental disabilities as a part of a 14-member team. That number went down to eight very quickly when one of our adults decided that summer was for fun and not work!
It has been a month of trial, error, fun and astonishment. Trial as to what schedules and arrangements work the best; error while keeping lists of potential customers; fun — breaking into song and dance and jokes when cleaning methi or breaking gavar is wearing us down and astonishment as to how very hard working and resilient our young trainees are.
During the first few days, until we figured out what physical arrangements worked the best, we were cutting and frying onions in the same small room that our trainees did their assigned tasks. Tears streamed down our faces, noses ran and we sweated hard in our self-imposed furnace. But not one word of complaint! And everyone reported for work the next day and the day after that.
It is so evident in this past month that our trainees want to be there. That they want to participate and enjoy thoroughly the rewards of a job well done. Every morning, there is an enthusiastic ” What are we doing first?” and everyone volunteers for every task right from shopping, cleaning vegetables/ tables, peeling potatoes, cucumbers, and carrots, making balls for rotis, sweeping up the mess, to packing, billing and delivering. Yes, we have to model, break down and practice tasks often to get them right. There is new learning every day that our trainees soak in and embrace wholeheartedly. What can possibly be more rewarding?
