VILLUPURAM: When this reporter tried to catch a hen at the poultry unit of the Sristi Foundation in Villupuram district, the birds quickly scattered. Before another attempt could be made, Jeeva, a resident of the centre, quietly stepped in to help.
With a handful of feed, he coaxed the hens towards him and, within minutes, caught two. Trained in poultry farming, Jeeva’s ease at work reflects how the foundation equips persons with intellectual disabilities with practical skills of their choice, building confidence, independence and pathways to equal opportunity.
For over a decade, Sristi Foundation, located in Konamangalam village near Mailam, has been training the intellectually disabled to become farmers, bakers and skilled workers, enabling them to earn a livelihood and live in dignity.
Founded and run by Karthikeyan Ganesan (43), a Puducherry native currently residing in Navarkulam, Sristi Foundation’s campus functions as a residential training centre, providing accommodation, food and skill-based training to intellectually disabled persons.
Karthikeyan began his journey in social service in 2000 as a volunteer at an orphanage in Puducherry when he was 17. Recalling his early experiences, he said, “I saw both disabled and other children living there. The non-disabled children went to school, but the children with intellectual disabilities stayed at home. This made me think about their future.”
He continued, “Especially when they reached adulthood, some became violent and were given medicines as advised by psychiatrists. Their lives were reduced to taking medicines and remaining in a semi-conscious state, without purpose.”
After leaving the orphanage in 2010, Karthikeyan travelled across the country to study alternative models for caring people with intellectual disabilities. “I realised that this was the case everywhere. They were confined to closed spaces, almost like spending their days in jail,” he said.
During a stint at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, while volunteering with an NGO supplying nutritious food to intellectually disabled children in rural areas, he noticed a pattern. “Most of these children lived in villages, but the organisations catering to them were located in cities. This pushed me to start a foundation in a rural area,” he said.
With support from donors, Karthikeyan purchased 10 acres of land in 2014 and began setting up Sristi Foundation step by step. He even recalled how initially there was no access to water.
“After consulting senior villagers, we created five small ponds, implemented rainwater harvesting in all buildings and also dug a well. However, there was still no water, but soon after planting a few trees, water started to flow in,” he said.
Karthikeyan added that in his analysis, he found that many, especially orphans, were comfortable with farming, as they often hailed from rural backgrounds. “When we first explained farming to them, the residents asked how a plant could grow from a seed.
When they sowed seeds and saw it sprout eagerly, their happiness was my reward.” Apart from agriculture, the foundation runs a dairy unit, poultry unit, bakery, F&B unit, nursery, and a handmade bag production unit. The handmade bags produced at the foundation are exported to Spain with the help of a volunteer, who had earlier visited the centre.
Finding jobs outside the foundation was another challenge. Karthikeyan said, “The first batch returned within days because employers treated them like normal workers without understanding their needs. Owners wanted output for the salary, but gave little time and energy to training. We then urged employers to treat them as unpaid trainees or interns for a few months. After training was complete, they started earning. We even provide training at our centre and then send them for similar jobs so that they can earn, and support their families.”
Recently, the foundation opened the Wabi-Sabi Cafe near Auroville. “Biscuits, fresh juice and millet ice creams prepared by our trainees are served there, and they also work in the cafe. Wabi-sabi means appreciation of beauty in flaws,” he explained.
The foundation also introduced the ‘Group Home’ concept. “We want them to live in tandem with society. We rented a house near Sedarapet on the Puducherry border, where eight trained persons now live and work in nearby shops and industries,” he said, adding that a caretaker has been appointed to manage the house.
At present, the foundation has 80 residents. Additionally, 35 people come every day from their homes.
He added that a special curriculum focusing on practical skills is being developed. “We are also preparing a book titled ‘Sexual Well-being of Intellectual Disability’ to guide parents, caretakers and institutions. Often, their behaviour is misunderstood and punished instead of being guided,” he said.
A proud moment for Karthikeyan and his team came when the state government recognised their efforts. “We have been asked by the state government to act as key organisers to conduct training programmes across the state,” an ecstatic Karthikeyan said. “If given a chance, their lives can change. We want society to recognise their abilities.”
(Edited by Rohith Sony)