THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For most young adults, the journey from education to employment follows a familiar path. Learn a skill, apply for jobs and begin earning. For those with developmental disabilities, that journey often ends before it begins.
Despite years of therapy, education and vocational training, many never find employers willing to hire them. At the Chilla Centre for Habilitation in Karakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, the answer was not to wait for jobs to appear. It was to create them.
Started in 2024 by NGO Anannia, Chilla is a workplace in the making. Every fellow who joins the three-year programme is trained with a goal which is to earn a monthly income of Rs 15,000 by the end of the course.
“We realised placements are the biggest challenge. Employers are often reluctant to hire adults with disabilities, even when they are trained and capable. That’s when we decided to create income opportunities ourselves,” says Anil Arjunan, founder-director of Anannia.
The centre currently has eight staff members and 12 Chilla fellows — adults with autism and developmental disabilities who live, learn and work together. The first two batches began with five fellows each before two more joined recently. Their day is divided between learning and production.
Some make jewellery. Others make handmade notebooks, cloth bags, candles or work in the printing unit. The products are sold at exhibitions in Technopark, Infopark, Lulu Mall and other venues.
The model is already showing results. Four fellows currently earn around Rs 7,000 a month through the products they make. It is the first milestone in a three-year plan that aims to double their earning capacity to Rs 15,000 a month.
But Chilla’s vision is broader. The fellows are encouraged to live as a community where they learn to manage money, save their earnings, make purchases for themselves and gradually build the confidence for independent adult life.
Unlike many initiatives that end after course completion, Chilla promises lifelong support, recognising that adults with disabilities often continue to need guidance even after they begin earning.
“Spread across a 25-cent campus in Karakulam, we hope to admit more fellows, but expansion depends on financial support and better infrastructure. Every new batch means additional training, equipment, workspace and mentors. We also have started an online store — chillabluestore — to sell the products,” says Anil.
