Sristi Foundation

Sristi is a non-profit organization based in rural Tamil Nadu, Villupuram District, India that works towards improving the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We use a combination of education, life skills training, and agriculture to help people who are faced with exclusion, neglect, and many other disadvantages that limit their effective participation in mainstream society. Karthikeyan Ganesan, a psychologist who spent 15+ years working with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Karthik grew up in an orphanage that treated all children, disabled or not, equally. However, his disabled siblings faced discrimination in mainstream life. Therefore, after his studies, he returned to the orphanage to help make a difference. While working at the orphanage he learnt that there are 1.6 million persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India (Census 2011) with about 75% living in rural areas. With a low employment rate and higher living expenses, they are one of the most impoverished groups in India. Whilst trying to help, the Indian system favors an institutional model – segregating and separating them from society, trapping them in a monotonous, sad, and often abusive cycle. It became Karthik’s mission to change this, and so, Sristi Foundation was born. At Sristi, the members are empowered with training and skills that will enable them to lead a more dependent and dignified life. The methodology combines education, life skills training, and agriculture. On an 8.93-acres of land, we have created an inclusive and holistic environment that we lovingly call Sristi Village. Sristi Foundation runs three (4) pioneer projects: Sristi Village, Sristi Special School, Sristi Farm Academy, Sristi Mobile Therapy Unit as well as a lot of community support and environmental projects.