WELCOME TO SRISTI VILLAGE
There are officially 1.6 million persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India, with about 75% living in rural areas. Often these people are faced with exclusion, neglect, and many disadvantages that limit their effective participation in mainstream society.
For over seven years, Sristi has relentlessly worked to create an inclusive society where children and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are respected, valued, and have the choices to lead a holistic and dignified life in mainstream society.
Through a unique approach of education, life skills training, and agriculture built on a foundation of love and support, Sristi provides people with intellectual disabilities economic and social empowerment to enable them to live as independently and as confidently as possible.
OUR IMPACT
Let’s Talk Numbers
Along with providing our community members with special needs, a safe place to stay, nutritious food, oppurtunities to get employment, and most importantly love, we are also involved in creating awareness among the community, inviting people from all over the world to live with us, and volunteer. Some of them went on to create their very own organisations based on Sristi’s model.
JOURNEY TOWARDS MY DREAM
My name is Karthikeyan and I hail from Pondicherry, South India. I spent 15 years in an orphanage, a very special place that enriched my life immensely. It fosters 111 marginalized children, non-disabled and intellectually disabled. Growing up in our home we were all equal. We lived together, played together, and helped each other out. Everyone had his or her responsibilities. Only in the world outside did our differences become more visible. I could go to school; my intellectually disabled brothers and sisters couldn’t. Later, when we grew older, those of us who were part of the mainstream “normal” folk found jobs and felt integrated into society. But our intellectually disabled siblings were still not accepted and were treated with pity rather than empathy. This behavior towards them made me indignant and unhappy. I felt it was unfair to underestimate their abilities. I felt that their potential is not being utilized to a full extent.
NEWS / EVENTS
Dive into our lives a little more deeper and know some more fun stories of our place and our people.