KANNIYAKUMARI: A tender ocean breeze glided through the windows of the handicraft unit in Kanniyakumari as the women skilfully sculpted coconut shells into jewellery and utensils. S Jeya Cruz stands tall, guiding them through the process.
The 62-year-old master craftsman is now the lifeline of around 25 destitute women, who were lurking in the darkness of indigence. He provides training to the women from coastal areas in the district to transform coconut shells into value-added products such as necklaces, bangles, earrings, hair clips, jewellery boxes, wine cups, soup bowls, spoons, and other items, helping them create a livelihood.
“I aim to transfer the art to future generations by imparting the skill to these women,” says Jeya Cruz with a smile of contentment.Born to a family of artisans, Jeya Cruz excelled in the craft. His maternal grandfather S Samathana Villavarayer was a great artisan in tortoiseshell crafts. Later, when the art form got banned, he turned to oil painting and seashell crafts, where he outshined his counterparts. Following his footsteps, Jeya Cruz’s father ST Sebastion and mother S Rajathi Villavarayer also became excellent artisans.
Realising that academics is not his forte, Jeya Cruz started polishing his skills in handicrafts from his teenage days. When he failed the SSLC exam, he decided to shift focus completely to coconut shell art. “The coconut shell craft products are 100% natural and environmentally friendly. The coconut shell spoons especially ‘Agapai’ used in cooking and serving food would extend the longevity of the food and provide an aroma,” he says.
With popularity across national boundaries, he started exporting coconut shell crafts to Europe and other countries. “Utensils and jewellery handicrafts made from coconut shells in Kanniyakumari have markets in Germany, France, USA and other countries,” he says with gleaming eyes.
Later, in association with the Tamil Nadu government district skill training office at Nagercoil, he started training women in coconut shell craft, making them future entrepreneurs.Acknowledging his expertise in the field, skill development office’s Assistant Director SP Lakshmi Kanthan said, “Jeya Cruz is a master. His decision to train these destitute women, enables them to live a life with dignity.”
The 47-year-old L Delmet and G Rashmi, who are getting trained at the centre, said, “Because of the training given by Jeya Cruz, we are now able to provide for our family. Further, seeing a final product after hours of hardwork gives us immense joy.”
As with any other artisan, Covid-19 and the following lockdown took a hit on Jeya Cruz too. Many women, who were getting trained under him, picked up other jobs and his export business got affected. However, he was not ready to back down. Now, his business is slowly climbing back up again.
As an appreciation, many laurels have come his way, including, the Utility Award and Kalai Chemmal Award from the Tamil Nadu government, Kalashri Award from Haryana State Government and a National Award.