City’s terraces turn into safe spaces for youth

When 28-year-old Sathish Kumar Balakrishnan worked as a volunteer with several NGOs in the city and interacted with students and working professionals, he realised that many were battling depression, but found it difficult to speak about it.

“I met people who were bogged down by their personal problems, but had no one to confide in. I noticed that we don’t have enough safe spaces for people who want to speak up and share their thoughts without any prejudice. That is when I made a Whatsapp group named ‘Law of Attraction’ so as to bring people together to share their concerns and be of help to one another,” recalls Sathish, who works as a cyber-researcher in the city.

Digital space allowed 200-odd youngsters to open up and also hear eachother out in their struggles. “But we learnt that technology couldn’t be as efficient as meeting in person. So, we began meeting on the building terraces across the localities in the city — it could be a friend’s home or a space offered by an NGO. These terraces are where we allow each member to speak freely and share his or her concerns about life, career, finances, relationships etc,” Sathish tells DT Next.

His support group, named Amazing Human Being, has been hosting Motta Maadi Sandhippu (meetings over terrace) for the past few months. “We hold the meeting on first Sunday of each month at a different locality in the city. So far, we have held the gatherings in T Nagar, Ekkattuthangal, etc. Apart from providing an avenue to speak up, we also hold activities that help people in building their life skills,” he adds. Each meetup sees at least 20-25 people, aged from 16 to 50. From students in class 8 to IT professionals to stay-at-home parents, the gatherings bring a wide demographic to a common platform. “We have a problem solving activity wherein we encourage all participants to write down on a piece of paper the biggest issues they are facing in life. The rest of the participants in the gathering then pen down and offer solutions they think can be used to resolve the issues. With this activity, we bring out different perspectives to approaching any problem,” Sathish elaborates.

The gatherings, which got popular through word of mouth, often see people bringing in their friends and relatives to be able to open up, he points out. “We also use the meetings to allow people to connect on the basis of their passions. For instance, if someone is good at singing or standup comedy, but works in IT full time and couldn’t pursue their passion full-time, they get to perform for the attendees. We share our minds, sing, dance and laugh — without the fear of being judged,” he stresses.

Each session of Motta Maadi Sandhippu is also eco-friendly — the participants use only public transport or bicycle to reach the venue. The three-hour-meetings also keep phones away, allowing people to connect. A regular attendee to the meetings, Ashwin Kumar, says he could connect with several like-minded people through the gatherings. “I found it harder to speak to new people earlier, but through these meetingsI have been able to make new friends and meet those who share similar interests as I do. I feel I’m able to listen, understand and empathise with others more than I ever could before,” the 28-year-old marine engineer adds.