Seed by seed, Sristi Foundation shows the way for inclusive farming

Sristi Foundation transforms barren land into a sustainable farm for persons with disabilities in Chennai village.

When Sristi Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working for persons with intellectual disabilities, established its 10-acre community space at Konamangalam village in Villupuram district in 2013, the land was barren. With the intention of setting up a sustainable farm, Karthikeyan Ganesan, the NGO’s founder, searched for a source of water. This was when an elderly resident of the village suggested that rather than “looking down” for water, he should “look up”.

“So, we planned to save up every drop of rainwater. We built a bund around the village [Sristi Village] and dug up many ponds,” Mr. Ganesan said, delivering the G. Natarajan Memorial Endowment Lecture 2024, held on Sunday by Vidya Sagar, a Chennai-based non-profit organisation.

In 2014, five persons with intellectual disabilities were taken in as residents in the Sristi Village. In addition to the local team, these residents were allowed to participate in the farming tasks.

“At first, only Muntigia calabura (Singapore cherry tree) grew there. Many people advised that it was an exotic and invasive plant, and there would be no benefits to the land. But the thatha [elderly man] asked us to proceed because the fruits of the tree brought many birds. And the birds helped in planting the seeds of other trees,” Mr. Ganesan said, adding that the trees also helped improve the groundwater table after rains.

At the Sristi Foundation, the residents are involved in farmwork every day. “They do all the work even today. Planting, watering, mulching, and pruning,” Mr. Ganesan said. Along with the trees in the farm, the strength of the community also grew and now stands at 62.

Highlighting the importance of the healing quality of nature, Mr. Ganesan recounted the transformative effect farming had had on one particular resident, who at the time of admission was an alcoholic and was prone to violent fits.

“As time passed, he began spending his time farming and taking care of the animals at the farm and was eventually able to quit drinking. He even got a job at a poultry farm yesterday,” he added.