CHENNAI: In Villupuram, a construction boasting Laurie Baker architecture is home to 8-10 young men. In almost all respects, it is like any other house except that for the people living in it, this is a mark of independence. In October 2022, Governor RN Ravi inaugurated five newly constructed residential homes for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by Sristi Foundation. These were more recently occupied by community members.
Having spent 15 years in an orphanage for volunteer service, founder of Sristi, G Karthikeyan was inspired to create these houses to encourage independence over the dormitory style of living. “The orphanage had about 50-60 youth living in the dorms. You don’t get a private space for yourself. When you are children, it’s not a problem but as an adult, you need a private space emotionally and psychologically. If you want to teach adults independent skills, they need to have experiential learning; have their own homes. I always dreamt of five independent houses where they (people with disabilities) can have their room, toilet, a kitchen and have real-life experiences,” he shares.
To build a home
The construction of the houses has been a few years in the making, keeping in mind a sustainable way of living. For this, Karthikeyan travelled to learn more about the Laurie Baker style of architecture and invited experts in sustainable living. “There is the use of a lot of sustainable architecture, recycled wood, and many things were considered like solar-powered (facilities) and bioseptic tanks,” he says. But alongside, there was also a need to make allowance for accessibility — the floor should be anti-slip, the toilet should be accessible, there should be no barriers in the house, there should be a common space and it should feel like living in a community while having their private rooms. “There needs to be a lot of ventilation, natural light, and air circulation; at any point, it should not feel like we are dumping them (in a house). To them, it should feel like it is their own home. The ultimate aim is to provide the quality of life to people with disabilities,” he adds.
And over the past month, the effects of having a home to themselves have shown in many ways. Where once the young adults had to be told to clean their rooms, they now have taken ownership and started keeping the spaces clean without any guidance. Where once they struggled to meet the 5 am wake-up call, they now are awake and present even earlier than Karthikeyan. “I was so surprised, I wasn’t sure what was happening. You see, in the dorm, there is always some disturbance, someone switches on the lights, or someone is talking…since now they have their rooms, they shut down everything and sleep without any disturbance. They are very happy now,” he says. The residents have also recently bought a music player that can be heard crooning throughout the day.
Mission possible
The success of this endeavour is heartening but perhaps also expected as an earlier attempt was made with young girls who were allotted a house in “mainstream society” with a house mother. “They learn all domestic and living skills, they go to the market, buy vegetables, use public transport; whatever the mainstream society does, they are involved and not isolated. You can go to their house and have lunch. They make wonderful tea, I have never had such tea anywhere else. The girls are doing amazing things and in six months, their skills have improved so much just because they got an opportunity,” he shares, adding, “Giving space to learn and make mistakes is very important. Often parents consider institutions because of the security but overprotection can be the biggest barrier to independence.”
Sristi’s operations, as a foundation, also reflect these values that Karthikeyan emphasises. With 10 acres of farmland, community members learn farm-based skills, job skills, independent living skills, and are encouraged to be independent, get a job and move on to mainstream society.
“It is a learning space where they can come, and stay for one or two or five years but at one point, they have to leave. While I do agree that some boys with severe levels of disability need long-term care but with them as well, we are thinking of how they can feel more productive and valued every day. For this, our dairy farm, chicken farm, and vegetable garden play an important role. In the morning we gather and assign jobs. At the end of every day, everyone feels like they have productively added value to nature or their community,” he shares.
Gradually, the foundation is also working towards establishing sources of income for the members. An upcoming project with Karthikeyan’s friend from Spain may see them creating useable bags out of Legos. But we’ll just have to wait and watch out for that project.
Furthering the skills
As they make progress on independent living, Karthikeyan aspires to encourage them further by introducing an option for them to cook their dinner and, eventually, other meals as well.