Its’s not just the sweets that make this Indore shop special, wait till you meet the staff!

Apna Sweets, a sweetshop in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, is well-known not just for its superior quality of sweets. The staff here is made up of people with disabilities, which makes the visit here even more special.

Like 21-year-old Gulnaz Shah, who was left paralysed in one hand and foot after she was given a wrong injection at the age of two years. The doctors gave up after a few surgeries, but not Gulnaz and her parents. Today she works at Apna Sweets, along with a staff packed with disabled workers.

Apna Sweets has won the National Award for Empowerment of PwD.

The shop owner, Prakash Rathore, is proud of their efficiency levels and says that all they need is some support. His initiative has been recognised by the Centre with the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Gulnaz, who funded her education by giving tuitions after her father’s death, says that handling the food counter keeps her financially independent and her motivation levels high. Her co-worker Sachin Rai, who is blind, joined the shop four years ago and handles the token counter.

From manning the food counters to bill counters, and from cleaning the floor to serving food, nearly every staff member at Apna Sweets is disabled.

All the workers feel wanted at the store. The owner says that everyone should remove the stigma towards the disabled and employ them for India to progress.

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