Thiruvananthapuram: Up Café, a cafeteria to be managed and operated by differently-abled persons will begin functioning at the Different Art Centre for Thursday (June 6). KB Ganesh Kumar, Minister for Transport, will inaugurate the Up Café at the DAC campus at a function to be presided over by Kadakampally Surendran, MLA. DAC Executive Director Gopinath Muthukad, Manager Sunilraj C K, Intervention Director Anil Nair and others will participate. The UP Café project is being initiated to develop employment skills of differently-abled children and make them self-reliant.
In the initial phase, children affected by Down Syndrome will be made part of the cafeteria. They will work in the cafeteria after completing all the training required on how to behave in a cafeteria. All tasks, right from inviting visitors to serving them food and cleaning the table and seats will be undertaken by the differently-abled themselves. An old vehicle has been converted into a cafeteria. About 25 persons can enjoy light meals at the same time inside the Up Café. The café will also include a kitchen.