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This Lady Designs Adaptive Clothing For People With Disabilities

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin
October 4, 2020
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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This is what Suomita Basu did. When psoriatic arthritis got the better of her affecting over 80% of her mobility, and she had to give up her work and career because of this chronic illness, she decided to start a brand of her own. And thus was born Zyenika, a range of adaptive and inclusive clothing for those with disabilities and physical challenges who found dressing up difficult or needed assistance.

“Zyenika is a house of trendy, fashionable, and functional clothing which is easy to wear, and comfortable. My aim was to increase the independence and dignity in dressing”, says Soumita who is based in Kolkata.

The clothing industry does not cater to this section of people in society. Chronic pain sufferers, people with physical disabilities, senior citizens, autistic people can find it difficult to dress up or maybe semi or totally dependent on a caregiver. Being wheelchair-bound or bed-bound can also mean that wearing regular clothes is a challenge. But this should not mean having to wear boring ill-fitting clothes. When her own illness progressed, Soumita found it more and more difficult to manage on her own.

“My wardrobe discouraged me from meeting people or even getting on a video call. Missing my cousin’s wedding became the turning point: I refused to be locked in anymore. And I refused to dress in pain every single day”, she reminisces.

“A person with physical challenges knows how difficult or cumbersome and even painful something as basic and necessary as clothing can be. These challenges may be mild, moderate, or severe”, says Soumita who is a wheelchair user herself. But she feels that this should not compromise on the sense of dressing or fashion. “Your style and dressing speak volumes about you. It defines you. It’s a form of expression of who you are. When you are deprived of that it can lead you feeling low, sad, depressed and that doesn’t help any more than what you are going through already”. Soumita wants to empower them with the freedom to choose and wear what they want to by providing them with a label of bespoke wear because why not?!


Uniquely designed traditional men’s kurta, with no buttons or fasteners

After enough research, identifying a vacuum in the market for inclusive wear, and her own body for trials, Zyenika was born. It sure hasn’t been easy but Soumita is happy with the support and response she has received. A wrap-up saree which can be worn lying down, a kurta without buttons, pre draped sarees which can be worn effortlessly, and adaptive innerwear for men and women are the kind of clothes she is working on.  

Sourcing the fabric, conceptualizing the designs, explaining it to the tailoring team, and overlooking the execution are all done by her. With no formal training in this industry, Soumita is self-taught and spent a lot of time learning the art and the trade. Not having formal training also came as a blessing because that gives her a space to think outside of the norms and comfort zone of the art form and that’s where most of her designs come from.

Easy to slip on top made with handloom cotton, No need to raise arms easy for poor grip/low fine motor skills

“It’s important to have that space where one is not told to ‘adjust’. When people ask me, “is it possible to design that way?” Yes, it is. It’s always possible to be thoughtful. That’s all it takes for good design, I say”. Adapting to the challenges of Cerebral Palsy for a customer, the clothing Soumita designed has many hidden features like a knee pad to support her when she crawls with the zips on both sides of the palazzo to transform it to shorts for easier wear and washroom use.

Also, Soumita wants to make sure that her team at Zyenika involves the deserving section of the society, and hence it is a women-led organization. “We strive to have a more inclusive team and ensure more dignified livelihood opportunities for marginalized sections of the society as our suppliers and workers. We are supported by GIAN (Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network), Ahmedabad at the ideation stage.”

Zyenika is also conscious about not adding to the landfill and believes in reusing and recycling. “Give us your old clothes and we will create your new restyled clothes”, says Soumita.

For Soumita, Zyenika is more than a brand or a vocation. It’s her desire to move forward in life despite her disability. It is her hope and wish that she is greater than that and no matter however small her effort may be today, she is consciously making an effort to better someone’s life and that feeling is not a small one.

Zyenika clothing is available at zyenika.com

adaptive clothingchronic disorderchronic illnessinclusive clothinginfanopassionto professionsoumita basuzyenika

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.

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Neerja Bhanot — The Only Women To Get Awarded By India And Pakistan!

Written By: Sonali
September 5, 2020 | 02:19 PM |
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Have you watched the movie Neerja starring Sonam Kapoor? The more I reach the climax, the more my heart pounds — it aches — knowing that she’d die! That it’s not just a movie but the life story of a braveheart who didn’t think of herself, her life for even a second — story of India’s youngest and first female recipient of Ashok Chakra who sacrificed her life for more than 300 people.

Neerja Bhanot was only 22 when she died — just 25 hours before her 23rd birthday. The night of Sept 5, 1986, was the last night of her life. Though that night and that incident still haunt a lot of people, Neerja’s bravery and legacy can never be forgotten.

She was cremated a day before her birthday, i.e., on Sept 6, 1986.

It gives me goosebumps while writing this, an unexplainable pain of loss and grievance — this piece is dedicated to that young life who still inspired and is still inspiring thousands!!

Neerja was born to Harish Bhanot and Rama Bhanot on Sept 7, 1963, in Chandigarh. She worked as a model for brands like Benzer sarees, Binaca toothpaste, Godrej Besto detergent, Vaporex, Vico Turmeric cream, etc. before her stint with Pan Am.

Bhanot was very close to her family — the ‘laado’ of her home and her father’s agyakaari beti. She agreed to marry a Dubai-based marine engineer at the age of 21 because her father wanted to, and she did not see any reason to deny her father.

She moved to Sharjah, UAE after marriage only to face mental and verbal abuse, starvation, threat and verbal taunts. “If you can’t cook, stop eating” is what her husband told her. She lost five kilos in two months and was really shattered. She came back to Mumbai, leaving her husband and marriage behind and decided to join the airline services.

She was selected in the top 80 out of 10,000 applicants for the job of a flight attendant with Pam Am. She was appointed the senior flight purser on Pan Am Flight 73 flying from Mumbai to the United States via Karachi on that fateful September day.

The flight was hijacked by terrorists who belonged to the Abu Nidal Organisation, backed by Libya. Neerja was at her best during the entire incident and tried to calm all the passengers and her colleagues. She alerted the pilots who then were able to escape out of the cockpit and save their lives. It was her smartness that ensured that the flight couldn’t take off.

The hijackers asked her to collect the passports of all the passengers so that they could identify the Americans. Smartly, she hid the passports of the Americans and saved their lives. She was shot by bullets while saving three children from the terrorists. One of them, then a 7-year-old, is now himself an airline pilot. He considers Neerja to be his role model. 

Neerja proved that no job is big or small and all you need is the dedication to your work. Her calm courage and quick instincts saved several lives. She was awarded Ashoka Chakra. Her citation states: “Her loyalties to the passengers of the aircraft in distress will forever be a lasting tribute to the finest qualities of the human spirit.”

She is also the first civilian who was awarded Ashok Chakra. She also received “Tamgha-e-Insaaniyat,” the civilian award for bravery from Pakistan. She is the only woman on the face of the earth to receive a peace award from both India and Pakistan. She also received the Justice for Crimes Award 2005 and Special Courage Award 2006 from the USA Government. The Indian Postal Service released a stamp in her memory in 2004.

For her fearless act, Bhanot was recognised as ‘The Heroine of the Hijack’ internationally.

She chose others over her life — she died for others. 

She was cremated with the chanting of ‘Goodbye darling, please keep coming’, her favourite mantra.

The airline hero of the country, Neerja, was a star. Her story, her life continues to inspire young women. Her family used the funds from Pan Am to set up the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust to commemorate her courage.

She wrote “I will make you proud” in a letter to her father a year before the incident. And yes, she did!

Cheers to you Neerja! Thank you for being an inspiration to our generations. You will always be loved, and your legacy will never be forgotten!

Featured Image: Various Sources

historyinspirationneerjawomenwomen in indiawomen power

Sonali

A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!

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