Shwetha Sakthivel, an 18-year-old computer science student pursuing a BSc degree, is thrilled to be able to code and work in her field of interest. HashHackCode, a social enterprise based in Chennai, has launched a new venture called ‘Cherized’ on World Autism Day last month. The aim of Cherized is to employ women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, neurodivergent students, individuals with visual impairment and disabilities, as well as retired seniors, with the goal of empowering and uplifting their lives and dreams through tech education.
Cherized will offer web solutions such as web designing, data processing, and marketing. The team is equipped with industry knowledge in web designing and can create a seamless user experience through coding. They also provide data consultancy services that encompass digital solutions like data cleaning, analysis, processing, mining, annotation, and more. The company utilizes the latest marketing tools and strategies for their clients.
Manu Sekar, the founder of HashHackCode, believes that technology can break barriers. The enterprise aims to address the employment neglect faced by diverse groups and communities. Manu states, “I wanted Cherized to be an inclusive space, so we brought on board people with disabilities, visual impairment, and retired senior citizens who want to earn decent money.”
To train individuals with visual impairment in coding and familiarize retired seniors with technology, the enterprise curated courses tailored to their needs. These courses were designed to be easily understandable for visually impaired individuals and included beginner’s classes for retired seniors to learn the basics of tech. Cherized currently consists of a team of 20 members and is steadily growing with plans to expand operations nationwide. Manu expresses, “We don’t want to limit ourselves to Chennai or Tamil Nadu. We aim to take this on a national level and recruit more remote workers.”
