People battling mental illness take over SIEMAT canteen to break the stigma

Chennai's SIEMAT canteen employs people battling mental illness, a pilot project of State Education Dept, Chennai Mission, and The Banyan. 20 members from The Banyan serve 400 people daily. The canteen helps build confidence and financial independence. Chennai Mission runs 12 projects, with plans to open 10 more cafes across the State, to create a ripple effect of employing those with mental illness.

The teeming crowd outside the State Institute of Educational Management and Training (SIEMAT) canteen at the Directorate of Public Instruction campus is a daily event, but the highlight now is that its employees include people battling mental illness.

The pilot project, which was established in June, is a collaboration between the State Education Department, Chennai Mission, and The Banyan. The initiative was proposed by former Education Commissioner K. Nanthakumar, when the canteen was run by assorted vendors. Dissatisfied, he wanted a new look and purpose for the canteen, and hence, roped in Chennai Mission, headed by M. Mahadevan.

“This is a unique venture as we have always taken up only bakeries and confectioneries. This is the first time we have attempted communicating a social message through south Indian food,” says Arun G.V. of Chennai Mission. On a three-year contract, the area and interiors were given by the Education Department for free.

When the canteen was set up, they only served a breakfast menu with coffee and tea, today they have expanded to a lunch menu and a chaat corner. With 20 members employed from The Banyan, the canteen sees an average daily footfall of about 400 people.

“Usually, we send our people to partners outside where the environment and people are not under our control. This sort of a setup helps us create a conducive and flexible environment that ensures that they are comfortable and in turn helps them be more confident in life,” says Preetha Krishnan, deputy director, The Banyan.

The security and certainty the canteen offers helps build their confidence in addition to financial independence. “This serves as a training ground. Once they are confident, they can then seek employment elsewhere without our intervention,” she adds.

The entire service is taken care of by The Banyan, except for the kitchen which is run by Winners Bakery. This is not the first time Chennai Mission has undertaken a project like this. It runs R’vive cafe in Kilpauk, Museum Cafe in Triplicane, and many more. This is its twelfth project and it plans to open 10 more cafes across the State.