We are a Charitable Trust dedicated to the rehabilitation & generation of sustainable livelihoods for the differently-abled children & young adults of the rural plantation community of Munnar, Kerala We have pledged to educate & further rehabilitate differently-abled children & young adults by imparting vocational education & further generating sustainable livelihood possibilities when they gradua
te. Our journey started with DARE (Developmental Activities in Rehabilitative Education) School which was established in 1991 providing special education and more over a safe haven for the specially-abled children of tea plantation workers of Munnar. We create hand-made products while adopting sustainable productions methods by recycling, up-cycling and using natural materials. The Trust is supported by TATA Consumer Products Limited & TATA Trusts
“Your Limitation — it's only your Imagination”
‘Creation’ | ’Nature’ | ‘Universe’ | ‘Handiwork’ — all synonyms of “Srishti” and the foundations of our existence. DARE School provides individualised instructions based on the capability of each child. Trained instructors provide full-fledged training in functional academics and training in self-help skills and social skills such as gardening, cooking, tailoring, painting, candle-making & more.
“Our students are talented artists. We encourage them to release their creative energy through the craft of paper, candle making, warli designs painted on Tote bags, Wall hangings & Face-masks, embroidery and simple stitching techniques, potpourri making, beaded jewellery and soap making.”
“Wealth from Waste” was the pledge with which the Vocational Training Centre was birthed at the end of 1991 keeping with the pledge to sustainably rehabilitate the young adults while producing eco-friendly paper products. Athulya Paper Studio rehabilitates 37 specially-abled young adults, who together, effortlessly create hand-made paper from recycled cut waste paper, cut cardboard and other paper stationery waste generated by the plantation offices of Tata Tea.
“Our team at the Studio uses this recycled material along with cotton waste and natural additives like tea leaf residue from tea factories, eucalyptus leaves, vetiver, lemon grass, pineapple leaves & fronds, onion peel, flower petals, lantana leaves, banana fibre, elephant dung, water hyacinth to create hand-made paper sheets, gift tags, cards & bookmarks embellished with ferns and petals from the gardens of Srishti. We also make Elephant Dung Paper, scented paper diaries, envelopes and a variety of hand-made paper bags - ideal for gifting. Our latest craft edition are the Table Lamps made from banana fibre paper and delicate quilling earrings.”
The kitchen at the DARE school by Srishti was the melting pot of talent. The school kitchen was the podium of creative development for the older children at DARE. The educators at the school engaged their minds & challenged their skills by making preserves and jams. In 1993, as a part of the DARE project, a small preserve unit came to life, producing strawberry preserve. The strawberries from estate gardens were the source of the ingredients in the wholesome preserve that was much loved locally. In 2003, High Range Preserve Unit became an independent welfare institute with a production facility in Nullathani. Nisarga - the Fruit Preserve Kitchen, was christened in 2009 with 12 young adults with a passion for cooking and the ability amidst their disability to sharpen their skills were supervised by one Manager.
“Rich seasonal plums and pink guava, Seasonal fruits are used in our passion sauce & orange squash. Seville Orange Trees were planted and the seasonal crop is used to make Orange Marmalade. Today our Preserves are sold across the country”
In 1994, Disha - the Seamstresses United by Srishti was founded when the need to evolve and create something more with their passion for stitching arose. Smocking is a technique of embroidery cherished by Mrs. Ratna Krishnakumar, the Managing Trustee of Srishti Trust. She personally spent much time on every trip to Munnar sharing her immense personal knowledge on the techniques with the group of seamstresses. Books from all over the world line the workroom shelves at Disha. Frocks for new-borns to five year old girls are stitched and carefully selected smocking patterns are embroidered on. Aranya Natural — the DyeHouse, was an experiment that was birthed from a fascinating leisure trip to Dhaka by the Managing Trustee, Mrs. Ratna Krishnakumar in 1993, where she attending a Natural Dye workshop with a friend. With interest peaked coupled with the naturally sustainable & conducive environment of Munnar, she started having experimental workshops with Estate Managers Wives & young adults from the Vocational Training Centre in an abandoned shed on one of the far off plantation estates. In 1994, after many experiments & what was now a passion & yearning for more knowledge in the craft, Aranya was born, with 6 specially-abled adults in a large ware-house like building at the far end of the current premisses of Srishti. Having dyed with naturally grown plants in and around plantation bungalows, staff homes and from the forest, the knowledge of dyeing was very rudimentary at the time. Krishnakumar decided to take the team to Calcutta to attend a professional Natural Dye workshop. The team then consisted of 2 plantation staff wives & 2 specially-abled adults (who could travel). The team started making Stoles, Naturally Dyed with Tie & Dye designs. Interest at an all time high, confidence generated & new skills learnt, there was no turning back ! Today, Aranya Natural - The DyeHouse rehabilitates 39 specially-abled artists who not only dye textile, but have been mentored by curator, artists & educator - Yoshiko Wada over 25 years. Yoshiko Wada has taught the team ‘the finer and untold’ techniques of the Japanese resist-dyeing technique of Shibori along with some ‘Signature Aranya Natural Techniques’
“We create dyes from eucalyptus, Nilgiri Kozha (eupatorium), tea waste, pine cones and other leaves, petals, roots harvested from the forest floor minutes away from the workshop. We source Indigo from South India and in grow our own seasonal crop too, Lac from Jangir Champa and Myrobalan an extract of a yellow flowering tree sourced from traditional medicine shops. Over the 2 decades, we have travelled the world with our specially-abled artists. Muthupechi has been to France to conduct a workshop at a Textile Group conference, Poongani attended a workshop in Minneapolis, JayLakshmi & Muthukumari to Japan, We attended conferences in Taiwan, Malaysia and help exhibitions in America, London & across India. Creative designs curated by in-house designers & NID Interns breathe life into the fabric we create. Our fresh-leaf eco-printing & the traditional Indian art of block designs have had long standing patronage.”
Sarees, Stoles, Dupattas, Scarves are created using cotton, silk, linen & organza. Pashmina shawls & fabric by the meter are an International favourite. Cushion covers, table linen, table covers are home decor textile carefully designed by in-house designers & NID interns year-round. Tote bags, pouches & fabric jewellery are the latest creation. When we found that paper making and creating natural dyed textile was something that didn’t fuel the creative interest of the young adults who were graduating out of DARE, The Deli came to life in 2009. Today three specially-abled young adults, who underwent their training under the guidance of Chef Ananda Solomon at the Taj President Mumbai, bake cookies, bread, tarts cakes and specialised confectionary and patisserie. Srishti was also faced with the need to rehabilitate highly mentally challenged young adults who are over eighteen years and beyond the school-going age. While they may find it challenging to adapt themselves in the other welfare institutes of Srishti, they are physically fit and are perfectly suited to take pride in the fruits of their labour. The pristine and serene surroundings of Srishti nourish and replenish one’s soul by uplifting the spirit and the therapeutic nature of gardening keeps these young adults mentally healthy. Vatika - The Garden cultivates seasonal flowers and vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, beans, peas, brinjal and so much more. The naturally grown vegetables are utilised in the canteen of Srishti, where the nearly 200 employees have lunch every day and the surplus if any is sold to local patrons and the Munnar vegetable market.
