UP: Meerut restaurant employs differently-abled staff to empower them

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 3 (ANI): In an effort to empower the differently-abled community, a restaurant in Meerut has opened, wherein all the food, right from the cooking process till it reaches the hands of the customers, is taken care of by them.
Amit Kumar Sharma, one of the founders of the restaurant Pandit Ji's Kitchen and Delivery Point, said that the aim of the initiative is to empower the differently-abled community in their area and give them the opportunity to earn a living.
"When the pandemic struck, we were unemployed so we decided to open up this restaurant. I felt that we should employ differently-abled people to empower them. Two differently-abled women cook the food and five differently-abled men do the delivery by scooter. We have not faced any difficulties," Sharma told ANI.

Gautam, another founder of the restaurant said that they were refraining from using food delivery apps as they did not want to dilute the mission they had opened the restaurant with.
"We are still in the initial stage of the business and are establishing the restaurant. Our main aim of going into this new venture was to provide a platform for the differently-abled so that they can be self-sufficient and empowered. We do not want to tie up with food delivery apps as it could lead us away from our main mission," he told ANI.

The employees also seemed happy with this new venture.
"We are tired of people looking at us with pity. This restaurant has helped us become self-sufficient, and we depend only on ourselves. We also want to do something, be someone. I am grateful to have such an opportunity," an employee said. (ANI)