Our Story
There are two important parts into which the life of a person with autism can be divided.
Life with parents and life after parents
Krishna
Lakshmi
Jayanthi
Jayashree
Sangeetha and V.Chakrapani are parents to quadruplets, of whom two adults – Jayashree and Krishna are neurotypical and two adults – Lakshmi and Jayanthi experience autism. Sangeetha Chakrapani began to work seriously on planning for the adult years of her daughters when they were still children, barely 7 years old. The overriding concerns were
1. Life beyond academics
2. Building functional communication skills
3. Building self help skills
4. Maintaining a good quality of life in terms of their emotional wellbeing after the lifetime of their parents.
These concerns, she realized, were common to many, many families with autism. Recognizing the widespread challenges faced by families navigating autism, they embarked on a mission to create a supportive environment called the Together Foundation.
A pivotal moment came when Mr. V. Chakrapani (CP), driven by a long-held belief in the potential for positive impact, provided the space for Together Foundation to take root. His foresight in acquiring the property laid the groundwork for our future. CP roped in an architect to completely reimagine the space, transforming it into the bright and welcoming environment where we continue to work and empower families today. These initial acts of faith and dedication continues to inspire the work at Together Foundation.
Kiran Khalap is the architect who gave expression to their dreams. He created the brand identity and gave the founding philosophy for the organization to work with.
Ms. Jayagowri Rangarajan
People of great generosity, calibre and wisdom joined the Chakrapani family in creating the pathway for the Foundation to do the work that it is doing today. Prof.Emeritus Dr.Y.K.Amdekar, Dr.Anjali Tendulkar, Ms.Sheela Sinha and Ms. Jayagowri Rangarajan joined hands with the organization at this point of time.
Our Timeline
2015 – 2016
Together Foundation was given job work by Creative Handicrafts, the young adults at Together started sorting and tying labels together for them.
Talktime, one of Together’s most successful programmes, was conceptualized in this year.
2017 – 2018
A full-fledged bakery with commercial size equipment, paper plate manufacturing unit and an initiative for block printing paper bags. There were now 8 students, two special educators and two support staff. A shop registered under the Shop and Establishments Act 1961 was launched in the premises of Together Foundation – providing an opportunity to retail the different kinds of products being made at the centre.
2019 – 2020
- The Foundation had expanded to 24 students. A formal computer training programme in association with Sujaya Foundation was begun.
- HDFC Bank was approached and agreed to give the young adults an opportunity to start data entry for them.
- The Foundation received financial support from Tata Investment Corporation Ltd and PerowshawDhunjhishaw Bolton Charities. Along with Dr.Anjali Tendulkar’s ongoing financial support, this was a landmark year for Together Foundation to offer certain programmes entirely free of cost.
2020 – 2021
The highlight of this year has been Gift a Smile! – a project that we took up during the lockdown period. People were requested to gift a smile which can help people to retain a happy frame of mind in the face of the global challenge that had descended on us. We developed an online training programme for adults, supported by parents.
2022 – 2023
Despite the challenges, we continued our efforts both online and at the centre. Our efforts were showcased through the ‘Box of Abilities’ e-brochure, which received great support from benefactors and well-wishers.
AutiTales, launched by Together Foundation in 2022, is a free Android-based app featuring interactive stories for people with autism. Conceptualized by Sangeetha Chakrapani, AutiTales is a labor of love designed to make storytelling an experienced based activity with clues and tips on every page to empower the reader to follow the story.
2024 – 2025
At Mumbai, we launched two new shops managed by individuals with special needs, where we will be selling fresh food and other products manufactured in the center workshop. This initiative was launched by Sara Tendulkar, nutritionist and Director, Sachin Tendulkar Foundation.
We will soon be launching our mission project: The Together Community, a residential project at Hosur , Tamil Nadu for people with autism and other special needs. This project will go live in April 2026.
We will also be establishing Together Foundation, an intervention and therapy center along with vocational skill development at Hosur with the help of benefactors.
Thanks for taking the time to explore our journey! Your interest fuels our growth, and we look forward to sharing our future progress with you right here.