- To develop capacities of residents.
- To help them understand and enjoy their rights.
- To enhance resilience, participation and ownership.
- To encourage stakeholders to adapt the same.
- To create visibilizing impact.
Anjali's Voices program is based inside four government mental hospitals in West Bengal, namely, Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, Lumbini Park Mental Hospital, Behrampore Mental Hospital and Institute of Mental Care, Purulia in order to fight stagnant and regressive systems to bring about systemic changes in the framework.
Participants of Anjali who are living in the mental hospitals.
Different mediums are employed towards achieving the above.
Our three livelihood initiatives: Cha Ghar, Dhobi Ghar and Block Printing Unit operate from within the premises of Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, a state-run mental institution in Kolkata, India. They function with the aim of generating livelihood opportunities for participants who have recovered from psychosocial disabilities. A matter of pride for us is that the livelihood units are running by engaging the participants at the helm, who earn a daily remuneration on an hourly basis in accordance with the Minimum Wages Act, 2022. This constructs their agency to operate their own bank accounts and build monetary security through savings. It is noteworthy that we work inside the premises of a state-run mental hospital, battling various stigmas that surround such institutions.
The Cha Ghar is our women-led cafe, which welcomes visitors of Calcutta Pavlov Hospital. It was initiated in 2015 with a vision to bring about a paradigm shift in how people with psychosocial disabilities are perceived. It functions with the objective of creating livelihood opportunities for participants of Calcutta Pavlov Hospital. Cha Ghar started as a small canteen which served tea and snacks and has now blossomed into a cafe with a sprawling menu, catering to the varied needs of the hospital staff, visitors of the OPD or residents looking for a change from the monotony of hospital food. It remains open for six days a week except Sunday and participants work for a period of 2 hours to 6 hours. An affordable menu of food items is provided for and special items are offered on occasion.
Dhobi Ghar is our state-of-the-art launderette facility which began as a second livelihood initiative in 2016, not only aiming for the economic empowerment of our participants who work there but also challenging the misguided misperception that residents of mental institutions are 'unhygienic'. The laundry unit, currently run by around 20 participants of the hospital, has evolved over the years. It has trained and employed over 65 men and women in the course of seven years, who work for a period of 2 to 8.5 hours daily, for six days a week. Apart from washing the linen of Calcutta Pavlov hospital, we presently have memorandums with Baruipur sub-divisional hospital and Lumbini Park mental hospital.
The Block Printing Unit is one of the livelihood programmes which we have been running within the premises of Calcutta Pavlov Hospital since 2018. The purpose of this unit is to engage and train recovered residents of the hospital so that they can earn from working here. Five of our participants are currently employed in the printing unit, who work for an average of 5 hours for three days a week. Participants are selected to work at the unit based on the interest they express and get trained under the supervision of trainers. The block printing process provides them with a boost of self confidence and self assurance in their working capacities. Our unit creates a range of items: curtains, bedcovers, pillowcases, cushion covers, long dupattas, scarves, brown paper bags, tote bags and wrapping paper.
