Aditi Verma is the proud owner of Aditi’s Corner. She has been running this café in Navi Mumbai for the last nine years. Since then, she has also opened a second outlet at Kharghar, which operates as a mess catering specifically to hostel students residing there.
Aditi was born different, and therefore experienced her fair share of hardships as a child. However, her parents and brother have always stood by her, supporting her dreams and giving her all the strength and encouragement she needed. Aditi explains that it took her a while to understand and cope with the way people treated her. As a child, whenever she used to go down to play, none of the kids would let her play with them. She would come home crying to her mother and ask ‘Why are the kids not calling me to play? What is wrong with me?’
Recounting her struggles, she says, ‘Like most kids, I too started looking at my mother as my friend and confidante. I would play games at home with her and just like that my childhood went by smoothly.’ Aditi explains, ‘Down syndrome is a condition that delays a child’s physical growth, mental health, and intellectual ability.’
As Aditi grew older, she took up vocational training courses that involved several interesting activities. It was at this point that her interest in cooking began. She fondly recalls making dal-chawal for the very first time! To keep herself engaged after college, Aditi started visiting her father’s office and learning data entry. She smiles and says ‘I used to get really bored. Once, I spotted a tea vendor there and it gave me an idea. I told my mother that I’m really good at making chai, so why don’t I make some and send it over to everyone on the floor? My mother then put the seed of thought in my head to ‘aim big’. That’s how I started the canteen business!’
Aditi’s dream is to open a big café which can serve as a platform to normal children as well as children like her. Her motive is not just to employ them, but also pass on other skills she’s learnt such as digital data entry, cooking, serving, and attending to customers. Aditi feels she is fortunate to have had the strong backing of her family, and is grateful to her staff and customers. This has given her strength and grit to face challenges and move ahead in life. She would like to extend her support and knowledge to those seeking it, so they can progress in life and live independently.