Glimpse 1
Keystone Moldova English and Keystone Moldova Romanian
Keystone Human Services (KHS) is a non-profit organization that is a part of a global movement to provide support and expertise to people with disabilities.
Mr. Shrutarshi Banerjee lives in Kolkata, and if you are lucky enough to meet him, he will be introduced an entrepreneur, a manager, and a business partner. His life has changed so much from the days of pre-vocational class engagement that were not leading toward employment or other valued roles.
Several of his supporters, including his family, were exposed to the ideas of inclusive practice and valued roles through workshops and collaborations in West Bengal, and Amrita Roy Chowdhury was a notable early-adopter in West Bengal and across India. She wanted to have the experience of helping a few people move into valued social roles, and see the impact on the larger business community. Change-agentry on the individual and the societal scale are Amrita’s passion.
Shrutarshi began his entrepreneurial career as one of three partners starting up a small-scale catering business known as Sip n Bite, with a few customers and some excellent experience. Mr. Banerjee is a person many people would quickly judge as not able to work, but his support team was determined to help people see his potential, and see him succeed. He is now a partner in a sidewalk café business located on a classic corner crossing in Kolkata, serving a lovely breakfast al fresco. Mr. Banerjee handles the business side of things by taking the orders, collecting the money, and making change. His business has been written up in many media formats, and is a part of the leading edge, up-and-coming business trends in booming Kolkata. At the same time, he shatters myths and stereotypes about people with autism, and does his family proud.
Amrita and her team understand from their exposure to Social Role Valorization the importance of highlighting the most valuable aspects of a role, while making sure the person also is authentically in the role. This understanding that people may need invisible support to more fully fill the role is an important SRV implementation concept. The transformation in Mr. Banerjee’s life serves as a testimony to the importance of valued roles, and the potential to create valued space for everyone at the community table.