SCARF honours kind employers!

CHENNAI: It was a function for to express gratitude to employers who had been supporting the noble causes of SCARF.  SCARF, which was established in 1984 as an NGO by the eminent psychiatrist Dr Sarada Menon,  for the first time on Tuesday organised an event to appreciate the work of employers who had contributed to the rehabilitation process of people affected by Schizophrenia and similar illnesses. The SCARF –AADHAR award was given to seven employers and organisations on the occasion.Explaining the motive behind organising such a function, Sarada Menon said, “Recently, we honored the best caregivers and that’s when we decided that we should honour those employers who take care of the patients and provide them with some kind of employment as well. Employment for those with schizophrenia has been a major problem. This is because they face difficulties not only in finding jobs but also in sustaining them, once people get to know of their illness. But all our employers have understood the illness. So, whenever the patients/employee relapse, the employers give them immediate medication or bring them to us.” At the event, Sarada also spoke about the symptoms of the illness. She stressed on the importance of not just providing care to them but also ways to keep them engaged.  “It takes a long  time to understand the patients and to teach them to adjust to societal norms. Periodically, you can observe the change in them. Sometimes, several persons with schizophrenia who are on regular treatment show no symptoms of this illness. And they generally don’t like to treated as a patient. So, while they are working in a company, the employers see no difference between them and other workers.”  SCARF is now associated with 15 employers. Of these, seven employers who had given opportunities to more than 10 patients, who are now working with them, were honoured on the occasion. Also present at the event was Pandiarajan, MLA and founder, CIOSA, who gave away the awards. Some of the employers who received the awards at the function include  Meena Dada, Ratna Chibber, Arun,  Yusuf, and Kripakaran, manager of The Jute Shop.