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Submitted by Sen on 16 June 2018
Minu Budhia and Preeyam Budhia with the team at ICanFlyy a special needs cafe

Minu Budhia and daughter Preeyam Budhia, co-founders of Café ICanFlyy in Kolkata, a café which employs individuals with disabilities and empowers them to chart out their course in life, talk about the vision behind setting up this one-of-a-kind café in the country.

Tell us about Cafe ICanFlyy. How did it take shape?

Cosy, quirky, and certainly a labour of love, Cafe ICanFlyy is a 50-seater cafe run by individuals with special needs. Whether you’re making a quick stop for a cuppa, a short and sweet meeting, a  session with friends, hosting a playdate for the kids, a long laidback brunch with family, or you just want to unwind after a long day, this is the place to drop in for some food made and served with love. The brainchild of founder Minu Budhia and co-founder Preeyam Budhia, the cafe empowers individuals with various disabilities and shows the world how capable they are.

Diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar disorder, Minu Budhia’s younger daughter Prachi was having a difficult time settling in at a regular school. As a mother, Minu Budhia was not only concerned about her daughter’s time at school, but also her future. What would she do after finishing school? How would she gainfully occupy herself every single day, all day? Looking for answers, Minu travelled not only across the length and breadth of the country, but also visited many institutes abroad and consulted multiple experts in the field of special education and psychology.

Envisioning a better, brighter future for her child and others like her, Minu Budhia established ICanFlyy, a Vocational and Skill Building Institute for special needs individuals. Some of the special needs we cater to are Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Challenges, and Learning Disabilities.

At ICanFlyy, we are changing lives by focusing on 5 Key Objectives:

  1.  Building Confidence;
  2.  Developing Respect;
  3.  Skill Building;
  4.  Vocational Training;
  5.  Creating Jobs.  

This is a place where you can be who you are and also all that you want to be. Café ICanFlyy is an extension of this vision.

How can you claim that it is the only one-of-its-kind in the country?

There are many people doing wonderful work with individuals with various disabilities across the country. We are not the only ones, but we are definitely one-of-a-kind as our special cafe crew comprises individuals with intellectual disabilities and health impairments-  Down Syndrome, ADHD, etc. who are all students of ICanFlyy. They don’t just  train and/work at the cafe, but also continue their vocational training and special education classes side by side.

Minu Budhia: Empowerment for me means arming yourself with all the education you need to surmount your obstacles and not giving up on yourself. This is exactly what we are trying to do at Café ICanFlyy. Each and every of our rising stars is given the opportunity to show what they really can do.”

Preeyam Budhia: Everyone has an innate capability to excel at something, as per their capabilities. All anyone needs is a chance and someone that believes in them.

You also have a vocational centre. Please tell us about it.

ICanFlyy is an Early Intervention and Vocational Skill Building Institute for Special Needs Children and Adults. Down Syndrome, Autism, Learning Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Challenges, ADHD, etc. are some of the special needs that we cater to. Students come here not only to receive vocational training and build their skills, but also to be a part of a community that is open, non-judgemental, and embraces the idea that being different does not make one less of an individual.

Special educators and experienced industry professionals provide training tailored to the unique needs of each student. Our unparalleled on-site job training equips students to work independently in a home set-up or under minimal supervision at various workplaces.

On what basis do you employ people at your cafe?

Our Special Needs cafe crew comprises students of ICanFlyy as the idea behind the cafe was to provide a secure, supervised work environment where our students could learn about what a workplace was like, begin to train, and then explore career opportunities. The cafe crew is a mix of those undergoing training and those who have completed a prolonged training period of over a year and a half.

What are the challenges of running a cafe like this? How do you handle them?

We had been planning and training for a year before the café opened, and we continue to learn new things every day. While we are a café with a cause, we have to make sure that the food and menu, décor, ambience, and service are at par, if not beyond that of a regular café. We were a bit apprehensive about how the whole concept would be received, but from the day we opened our doors, we have been lucky enough to be met with love, encouragement, and appreciation. Whether it is training the students, or ensuring that the café runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis, we have an excellent passionate team who are dedicated to the cause and work together to make it all possible.

How do you keep your restaurant popular and friendly? Do you have activities and programmes there?

In addition to word of mouth and sharing our little world on social media, we have a host of workshops and meet-ups across multiple topics held in the café. In terms of private events, we’ve had press releases, birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, baby showers and more. Events open to the general public have included Art, Craft, DIY Workshops, Live Music evenings, Comedy Open Mic nights, Board Game meets, Quiz evenings, etc. Our new section also includes a kids’ play area, which makes it both child and family-friendly.

What is the way forward for Cafe ICanFlyy? And, for you as well?

We have just expanded the café premises, increased our seating capacity, and given the menu a makeover, so presently we look forward to achieving new heights and maintaining our standard. Taking each day as it comes has worked so far for us, and for now we’ll continue to do that.

How do you think inclusiveness of this kind helps in creating awareness and to take the cause of people with multiple conditions forward?

The café, just by being, has been able to make people aware about Special Needs. Our customers include both people who know of our cause, and those who come to visit a good café. The latter, when they walk out, now know about the special needs individuals and their capabilities. We also have “meet your café crew” tent cards on each table, that lets our customers, or as we call them, ‘our cheerleaders’ learn more. Café ICanFlyy has been growing by leaps and bounds since it opened its doors in August 2017. The love and support from the city of joy has inspired us to grow. Literally. From a 25-seater, we are now a 50-seater with a dedicated play area. Receiving the Award for Excellence in the Cafe with a Cause category at The Telegraph Food Guide Awards 2018 also showed us that we have begun to make a difference.

Yours has been a bold and successful step. What would be your advice to people who are also trying to create an inclusive society?

Keep the big picture in mind, but don’t lose focus of the small details. Every little step, every drop in the ocean counts. Also, don’t forget to share why and how you are doing what you’re doing. You never know who may be inspired.

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