At first glance, the three-bedroom flat in a gated community in Yapral looks like any other home. Shoes are neatly lined up by the door, a pressure cooker hisses in the kitchen and soft conversation drifts from the dining table. Nothing seems unusual, until you meet the residents.
Kameshwari, Tayamma, Sirisha, Sarada and Ganti Padmavathi are adults with special needs, staying together and redefining what independent living can be. Every morning, they divide chores — rolling chapatis, washing clothes, keeping the home tidy — while a full-time caretaker steps in only when required.
Special-needs women and children receive training in stitching, arts, and other vocational skills at Swayamkrushi, an institute for persons with intellectual disabilities, in Chennapur, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G.
This home is one of five such residences across northern Hyderabad, including Balaji Nagar, Shaili Gardens, Kapra and Dammaiguda, each housing six residents. They look like any other home in the neighbourhood, deliberately so. “We didn’t want these homes to stand out because inclusion means blending in, not being set apart,” says Manjulaa Kalyaan, founder of Swayamkrushi, the organisation behind the initiative.
Building belonging
When Manjulaa began scouting rental flats, rejection was common. “People would say, ‘You are bringing mad people here’. They were scared,” she recalls. She countered the bias by inviting neighbours for tea, explaining that the residents were simply learning to live independently. Gradually, resistance eased and today, the women are embraced by their communities, she explains.
Each home has a 24/7 caregiver — women who have survived their own hardships, many rescued from government shelters. “These homes are designed to mimic normal life. They have chores, responsibilities, and most importantly, the freedom to make choices,” says Manjulaa.
Special-needs women and children receive training in stitching, arts, and other vocational skills at Swayamkrushi, an institute for persons with intellectual disabilities, in Chennapur, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G.
What makes these group homes remarkable is not their novelty, but their normalcy. The residents shop at the local market, greet neighbours during morning walks and attend community events. “They are not on the margins anymore. They are part of the same world as you and me,” says Manjulaa.
During the day, residents travel to Swayamkrushi’s main facility in Chennapur, a five-acre campus, where they are taught functional academics.
A campus of hope
The Swayamkrushi campus looks almost like a small residential college. A two-storey building wraps around a green courtyard where children and adults play. Classrooms line one corridor, a vocational training centre buzzes with the sound of sewing machines, and the scent of freshly prepared rice and sambar drifts from a large mess hall.
Inside, around 45 hostel rooms are airy and functional, with twin beds for residents and a separate bed for each caretaker. There is a laundry unit, library, gym and even a swimming pool. Currently, 169 individuals study or live on campus, including 82 females aged 6 to 70, and 87 males aged 4 to 30. About half are day scholars, while nine are orphans or have been rescued by Telangana police and referred by the Women and Child Safety Department.
Special-needs women and children receive training in stitching, arts, and other vocational skills at Swayamkrushi, an institute for persons with intellectual disabilities, in Chennapur, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G.
The organisation, founded in 1991, operated out of a gated community in Trimulgherry before moving to Chennapur three years ago. Initially for women, it has expanded to include men, with separate living facilities. In addition to its residential programs, the campus hosts a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) Special Education programme, affiliated to Osmania University and approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India. The two-year course combines classroom learning with hands-on experience on campus, guided by faculty who are Ph.D. holders in special education.
Special-needs women and children receive training in stitching, arts, and other vocational skills at Swayamkrushi, an institute for persons with intellectual disabilities in Chennapur, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G.
In a sunlit room, 32-year-old Ammi works intently at her sewing machine, a row of mirror-work handbags spread out before her. Her journey began 25 years ago, when the police rescued her from a vulnerable situation. At the time, she struggled to speak clearly or interact socially. Over the years, with training and support, she found her rhythm — first in housekeeping at a five-star hotel where she earned ₹10,000 a month, later at a retail packaging unit. After returning to the campus during the pandemic, she joined the tailoring section. Today, she leads the production of hundreds of handmade bags and covers.
Special-needs women and children receive training in stitching, arts, and other vocational skills at Swayamkrushi, an institute for persons with intellectual disabilities, in Chennapur, Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit:
RAMAKRISHNA G.
Down the corridor, a group of trainees learn to sew straight stitches on thin cloth. A month ago, one trainee’s line wavered and snagged. In a week, her stitches ran smooth and steady. The small triumph was met with claps and smiles. “We celebrate progress, not perfection,” says one trainer.
Women here also take up tasks such as peeling garlic and onions in bulk, which are then supplied to restaurants across the city, work that doubles as both a source of income and a form of functional learning. Some are employed in packing, sorting and labelling units across Hyderabad, while a few work at a printing press in Secunderabad, arranging and stacking paper sheets.
Margins to mainstream
For many residents, the facility has been more than a home; it is a launchpad. Gayathri, who arrived at the institute at the age of 13, represented India at the Special Olympics in Athens in 2011. Now in her 30s, she trains newcomers, helps caregivers in the group homes and participates in Republic Day parades.
Others, like Tanunj and his sister from Himachal Pradesh, have found purpose within the campus. Their parents passed away years ago, and their brother, now in the United States, brought them here seeking care. Today, Tanunj manages the front office, welcoming visitors with ease, while his sister is a caregiver for residents with higher support needs. “We have built our own family here,” he says.
Support for families
In another initiative on the Chennapur campus, nine flats have been set aside for parents of special-needs children, especially those in distress or recovering from trauma. The idea was born during the pandemic when several parents lost their support systems or partners.
“We realised parents need counselling too; some of them had reached breaking points. We wanted to create a space where they could stay, get counselling and learn to manage better,” says Manjulaa. Today, all nine flats are currently occupied, with plans for expansion.
Such interventions have particular relevance in light of several tragic incidents in the past few years where parents, unable to cope with the emotional and financial pressure of raising special needs children, took extreme steps. She recalls the recent case of Challari Sailakshmi, who allegedly killed her twin children, one of them with special needs, before taking her own life. “That tragedy shook us,” says Manjulaa, adding that the aim is to prevent such despair by ensuring timely community-based help.
