Rezbin Abba’s house in Areekode village of Kerala’s Malappuram district is a treasure trove. If you ever visit, you will find a vast collection of exotic chocolates, teas, and even leaves that she has collected from countries all over the world.

However, the real treasure are the several letters that she has lying around her home, full of kind words, personal stories, and words that affirm strong bonds.

Interestingly, the 18-year-old has never even stepped outside her village, or met the people who have sent the gifts. Yet, she knows almost everything about their lives.

These gifts and letters are all from Rezbin’s pen pals — a concept that might not be too familiar to many millennials today.

For three years, she has been writing letters to strangers-turned-friends from 43 countries. She has penned and received 70 such letters, and most people send a gift along. She says her hobby, which many people find bizarre, stemmed from a depressive episode, and that she found solace in letters.

Rezbin was eight when her parents separated, and she and her brother Abik chose to stay with their mother, Raheena Umminiyil. The separation not just left Rezbin with a void, but also had the villagers talking about her — she would often be ridiculed or mocked by her classmates and neighbours.

“I was in class 9 when I heard one of my friends address me as an orphan. Mothers warned their daughters against playing with me as I did not have a father. I would cry myself to sleep and at one point I stopped socialising altogether,” she tells The Better India.

“I received my first letter from Sara, a Mexican living in the US in 2018. She had chanced upon my Instagram profile and started following me. I would post a lot of pictures of art and craft on my feed, which she liked. So she asked for my address and sent me a postcard for Christmas. I was touched by the gesture and wrote back. That’s how it all began,” Rezbin, a first year student of B Sc Psychology, says.

“I was so happy to know that a stranger had taken the effort to make me smile. I realised two things. One, that our world is beyond our neighbours and relatives, and two, that I am not alone and there are genuine people out there. How could I have not scaled this project?”

After Sara reached out to her, Rezbin took efforts to connect with people living in other countries. After talking to them for a few days, she would tell them about her small hobby of exchanging letters. Many people excitedly said they would like to send some as well.

So what does she talk about in the letters?

“The topics range from crafts to culture, climate, society, school curriculum, food and more. I know we can just Google such information, but it makes a difference when you hear from the horse’s mouth. I love telling them about Kerala, its customs, its beauty, backwaters, and everything else. With some, I even share my personal life, and vice versa. I have learnt so much from them, including normalising single parenting,” she adds.

Rezbin’s friend Maggie from Bulgaria is a globetrotter. After hearing about India and Kerala from Rezbin, she made plans to visit the country with her parents right before the pandemic. Another friend from Turkey writes to Rezbin about her cancer journey.

Given that the art of letter writing is slowly becoming obsolete, it takes weeks before Rezbin receives her letters. But she says the wait makes it more exciting.

She says she no longer cares about what her relatives or friends say about sharing postal addresses with strangers. Fortunately, her mother is very supportive.

“People have gone to the extent of saying that no one will marry a girl who talks to strangers. If there’s anything I have realised, it is that people are always ready to spew venom but I cannot let it get to me. I don’t care if others mock me for being old school in this tech-savvy world, as long as it makes me happy,” says Rezbin.

Featured image source: Satheesh Kumar

Edited by Divya Sethu 

Jewellery, lampshades, pens, flower pots, sculptures, cloth hangers, storage containers, musical instruments, decorative items, houseboats, bottles, face masks — you name it, and the highly talented craftsmen of Thrikkaipetta village in north Kerala’s Wayanad district will make it for you.

Officially known as the ‘Heritage Village of Bamboo’, Thrikkaipetta is situated atop Manukkunu Hills. The village is an ornithologist’s paradise, with an abundance of 140 bird species and plantations like areca nut, coffee, pepper, tea and more.

However, it is the humble bamboo based activities that have put this place with a population of little over 20,000 on the global eco-tourism map.

People not just from across India but also the world travel to Thrikkaipetta for multiple reasons, ranging from learning and experiencing the diverse world of bamboo, trying their hands at making bamboo products or simply shopping for indigenous products (which are also available online)

But it’s pertinent to note that while the village is now a flourishing region booming with livelihood opportunities, it was once reeling under a severe agrarian crisis and farmer suicides.

But things changed 1996 onwards, Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology Study Centre (UISTSC) was formed to uplift farmers through bamboo plantations and promote traditional sustainable handicrafts.

“When we moved here in 1996, we noticed that the traditional practice of bamboo products had been slowly disappearing. Plastic items were rapidly penetrating Indian households at the time, and we began Uravu in such circumstances. Bamboo is good for the environment, as it helps preserve soil, grows fast, and is termite-resistant. It is the green gold material of the 21st century,” Sivaranjan tells The Better India.

The founding members of Uravu are Dirar and Suneesh from Thrissur, Anthony CP and Sivaraj from Kozhikode, Girija and Sreelatha from Wayanad. Many people have associated with Uravu over the years. Today the organisation is managed by a core committee consisting of 11 members with Dr K.K. Seethalakshmi as the President and Tony Paul as the Chief Executive Officer.

The non-profit organisation launched its operations by training eight families, and presently, close to 200 families are directly earning through Uravu. From weaving baskets to building houses from bamboo, the upward trajectory of this village is praiseworthy.

Building Uravu, one artisan at a time

The core members of the organisation involved private and government entities from the very beginning to provide funds, training and resources for the project. Initially, finding skilled artisans was a challenge, so Uravu brought in several experts to impart training.

Bhimrao Chaple, master craftsman from Maharashtra, and his guru Vinu Kale, another legendary bamboo enthusiast, arrived here in 1997. Together, they trained the villagers over 15 years in various fields.

Vinu Kale has been instrumental in connecting Uravu to IITs and bamboo products with the latest technologies. He suggested the names of several experts who we could call to impart training.

To arrange funds and save on expenses, the organisation applied for various grants, schemes such as Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development and the Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVJ) programme. The organisation also joined hands with Ambedkar Hast Shilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY) and NABARD to develop units to manufacture bamboo products.

Among the artisans trained, 90% are women who prefer working from home. The beneficiaries are organised in the form of  17 Self-Help Groups (SHGs). They regularly receive pre and post production support required for sustaining their enterprise like raw material, technical support, design support and market linkages through Uravu’s Livelihood Support Program. 

“Initially, the income was low but they continued working as it was better than being unemployed. In the 90s, daily earnings were around Rs 30, but presently an SHG member can earn up to Rs 40,000 per month, depending on their skills,” says Tony.

And it’s not just bamboo handicrafts and training that the organisation offers. Urava is also dipping its toe in the pool of multiple verticles. This includes the Common Facility Centre (CFC) for bamboo treatment processing and supply of quality raw material, Bamboo Nursery and Plantation with the mandate of propagation of quality seedlings and raising scientifically managed plantations, Bamboo Construction and Green Architecture focusing on sustainable buildings, Projects and Consultancy session for bamboo value chain based interventions alongside the Livelihood Support Programme and skill development divisions.

The organisation has two categories of units — one where artisans come on the Uravu premises to work, and another wherein they are allowed to work from home or from the CFC closest to their house. This flexible aspect is a major reason why most villagers have been working with Uravu for several years now.

This includes Jameela, a 20-year-old associate of Uravu, and a single parent who supports her daughter and mother. As the president of the Kalpetta bamboo cluster, she started training artisans five years ago.

“I have attended several workshops, trained many people, explored places outside Kerala, and interacted with several bigwigs, ministers and officials, all because of Uravu and its Livelihood Support Programme,” she says.

‘Bamboozling’ the world

The nursery has more than 58 varieties of bamboo species, making it the largest bamboo nursery in South India in terms of diversity. It was started to promote bamboo plantation in collaboration with the panchayat, villagers and voluntary organisations. The farmers are encouraged to help in planting and in return they can take the seedlings.

To spread awareness and educate more people, Uravu organises annual exhibitions, and invites students from institutions such as NIFT and IITs. They collaborate with agencies like UNDP and educational institutions to conduct learning workshops. People are also welcome to stay as a tourist and learn everything about Uravu.

“We are in a phase of reshaping ourselves to meet the demands and challenges of the changing times. In 2019, a few of our craftsmen had the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka through the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and impart their wisdom. Although we have done training in many parts of India, this is the first time that we went abroad. We have had people from many countries visiting us, and our commitment is towards creating a system, a model that would unleash the potential of bamboo as a multifaceted development tool and a true driver of sustainable development” says Tony.

You can reach Uravu here.

Edited by Divya Sethu 

This article is a part of the series #TravelForGood, an initiative by Kerala Tourism and The Better India to enrich traveller experiences and open up opportunities for local communities.

Life as we know it has changed in the last couple of years. The pandemic pushed us all to the edge, forced us to press pause and introspect. As social interactions and work-life balance turned upside down, it also compelled us to see the world in a newer light, where the little things mattered the most.

This thought also translates in the way we are travelling now. As the world slowly heals and opens its doors to travellers desperately seeking to set free their wanderlust, it also welcomes this new wave of experience-based travel. Here, authentic experiences triumph touristy itineraries and mere travellers transform into explorers, waiting to discover meaningful and memorable moments of beauty.

And what better place to start than the evergreen and simplistically marvellous ‘God’s Own Country’— Kerala. Be it the sweet smell of wet earth in the air or the blanket of green that wraps around your eyes the moment you set foot inside its state borders, Kerala invites you to weave a unique memory of every experience.

From the pristine beaches, mellow backwaters, evergreen forests to the mighty mountains and gushing waterfalls, every bit of Kerala encourages you to slow down, let go and completely immerse yourself in its beauty.

Here are three examples of such destinations in Kerala, where every nook has a special story to tell.

Wayanad

Unique, unspoilt and unforgettable — are three words that summarise the experience of a place called Wayanad in Kerala. The only district that shares borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Wayanad is around 76 kms away from the coastline of Kozhikode, and is known for its unperturbed natural beauty crowned with paddy fields, coffee plantations, dense rain forests and wildlife sanctuaries.

Be it the quaint villages sporadically sprinkled around the mountains of Western Ghats, the enchanting misty hills and waterfalls humming the countless lores of the region going back to centuries, or the verdant carpets of paddy and coffee plantations — Wayanad is a green paradise that offers a bit of everything.

While the magnificent landscapes provide an opportunity for a restless soul to pause and rewind soaking in the tranquil environs of the region, the steep peaks and thick jungles promise a number of thrilling adventures. For instance, in the Pookot Lake nestled under the rolling hills of Wayanad, one can revel in the picturesque glory of nature while also indulging in kayaking and row boating activities. For adventure-lovers looking to scale peaks, there’s the 2100-ft-above-sea-level Chembra peak, which is the highest in Wayanad. It offers challenging and exhilarating trek opportunities.

If you are a history buff waiting to be lost in the marvels of the past, Sultan Bathery in Wayanad is a must visit. This place gets its name from Tipu Sultan who used an abandoned Jain Temple here to build a stronghold and eventually defeated the British Army and saved Wayanad from their occupation.

Around 16 kms from here, up the Ambukuthi Hill, lies another Neolithic era marvel, the Edakkal caves. Inside it one can find pictorial writings as old as at least 6000 BCE from the Neolithic man. The stone age carvings found in Edakkal caves are considered to be very rare and the only known examples close to it have been found in Shenthurini, Kollam.

Some other offbeat spots include the one-of-a-kind Koottamundu temple made entirely out of mirrors, India’s largest dam, Banasura and the wildlife sanctuary trio — Kerala’s Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary and Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.

With its pristine hills that dance beneath the velvety skies, Wayanad is a calling waiting to be heard.

Sargaalaya

Iringal, a scenic village near Vadakara in Kozhikode, Kerala, goes down in the annals of history as the birthplace of the valiant admiral Kunhali Marakkar, who commanded the Zamorin’s fleet and led many wars against the Portuguese during the 16th century.

The village, which was once home to battle-scarred clans and legendary warriors, is today known as a hub for traditional craftsmanship. Sargaalaya Kerala Arts and Crafts Village was established at Iringal in 2011 by the Department of Tourism, based on the concept of ‘responsible tourism’.

Sargaalaya is home to more than 80 highly-skilled artisans from villages across the state of Kerala, all housed under one roof. This craft village has 27 cottages, which are ethnic in design, located on the shores of the Moorad River in the village. The cottages provide a permanent space for the artisans to stay, create, display and sell their products. The village is also home to artisans who practice traditional art forms. Craftsmen are provided with training on the latest techniques of production and are encouraged to innovate within the traditional system.

At Sargaalaya you can find artifacts designed with different raw materials, ranging from natural options such as banana fibre, coir, bamboo, sand, coconut shells, husk, palm leaves, coconut leaves and screw-pine to modern alloys.

The craft village provides a unique experience for tourists as they can witness the artisans at work and are encouraged to interact and learn from them. Visitors can also enjoy performances of classical and folk art forms.

The unique set up of the village not only attracts tourists but provides a platform for promoting traditional arts and crafts while employing and encouraging local artisans. The village has generated employment for more than 400 people directly and more than 1,000 indirectly.

Amidst the many temples, forts and palaces that Kerala is famous for, Sargaalaya provides a distinct experience. With the perfect blend of art, history and business, it has become a model for responsible tourism in the state.

Vagamon

Vagamon, also known as Wagamon, is Kerala’s best-kept secret. Perpetually wrapped in a thick mist, with lush green velvety meadows carpeted with acres of tea plantations, Vagamon is a small hill station cradled in the south-eastern district of Idukki. It is one of the most unique off-beat experiences for travellers.

It is nature’s abode in the truest of forms, largely untouched and away from the hustle and bustle that many neighbouring hill stations like Munnar experience. So, if you are looking to breathe in the fresh air and unleash your imaginative expression through art, this is the place for you.

Here, time has its own pace, singing to the mellow tunes of the wind that can take you on a journey like no other. If you like long walks or to trek amidst nature, Vagamon offers a variety of landscapes. From rocky hills and rugged terrain to green meadows sprinkled with delicate blooms and dense pine forests to get lost in and be found again. On the way, follow the bubbling whisper of river Meenachil, which originates in Kottayam and flows throughout the small town.

But there are two sides to this town, one immersed in tranquil silence, and the other promising an ecstatic adventure.

Among the adventure seekers, Vagamon is a prominent site for paragliding, mountaineering and rock climbing. Offering a thrilling experience truly unique in South India, during the winters the town witnesses many paragliders flocking in to enjoy the experience of gliding over the velvety fields, lakes, plantations and hills. When joyously tired after such an exciting day, the mountains after the sundown take you in a quiet embrace, lulling you to sleep for another day, another unique experience at Vagamon.

Beyond the spice gardens and sleepy villages that you can breeze through, scaling the hills on a cycle, Vagamon is also known to be the seat of harmony. The town strung together with three adjoining hills—Thangal, Murugan and Kurisumala—all of which have prominent religious significance.

While Thangalpara houses the mausoleum of Sheik Fariduddin, which is an important religious location for Muslims, Muruganmala dedicated the the son of Lord Shiva, Murugan, is a significant site for Hindus. The third hill, Kurisumala houses the Kurisumala Ashram, which is a pilgrimage spot for Nazrani Catholics. At its foot, lies the St Thomas Mount, a centenary memorial that leads up to the statute of St Thomas. All three hills and the values they represent have been coexisting harmoniously for decades.

Beyond pilgrimage, if you are interested in ecotourism and a sustainable lifestyle, a visit to the Kurisumala Ashram to witness the sustainable dairy farm is a must. Imported from the island of Jersey the cattle is reared by the monks and this establishment functions under an Indo-Swiss Project.

Every curve and every corner of these idyllic locations leave a memorable mark, making your trip to Kerala more than just another ordinary vacation.

Noticing the unknown plant that grew abundantly in the backyard of my ancestral house, I used to wonder what it was used for. It grew everywhere like a weed but was mostly used by me in my pretend cooking games as a kid.

Back then, we were all forced by our grandparents to eat such home-grown herbs. However, little did I know that its uses were far more important.

The herb grows like bougainvillea in Kerala but still goes unnoticed. On the other hand, the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu cultivates it on a large scale and consumes it as a staple. The delicious Manathakkali Vatha Kuzhambu is quite popular among Tamilians.

As per the research findings of two scientists from Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), a compound separated from the leaves of Manathakkali or Black nightshade or Solanum nigrum contain medicinal properties that can cure cancer.

Senior scientist at the RGCB, Dr Ruby John Anto and her student Dr Lekshmi R Nath found that the leaves of Manathakkali contained the qualities to save human liver from the uncontrolled growth of cells.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now noticed its potential and sees a compound that can be isolated from the plant and used to treat liver cancer, as per the New Indian Express. According to Dr Ruby John Anto, there is only one FDA-approved drug available for liver cancer treatment whose effectiveness is much lower than this one.

The medicine made from the compound of Manathakkali leaves has already received patented rights by the USA, Canada, Japan and South Korea. The patented technology of the two scientists has been bought by the US pharma company QBioMed, as per Onmanorama.

Other than its cancer treating properties, Manthakkali is rich in calcium, iron, riboflavin and Vitamin C. It is known to cure mouth ulcers, constipation and urinary infections.

Another advantage of the herb is that it is available all-year round. Manathakkali is a Tamil word and it is known by different names in Kerala like Mulakuthakkali or Karinthakkali.

Here are a few recipes you can use to incorporate this nutritious herb in your diet.

Manathakkali Vatha Kuzhambu (Manathakkali gravy)

Ingredients:

Tamarind (lemon sized-soaked in hot water for 20 minutes)

Sesame oil (2 tablespoon)

Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon)

Fenugreek seeds (1 teaspoon)

Red chilly (2-3)

Curry leaves

Asafoetida (a pinch)

Manathakkali (buttermilk soaked and sun dried, 3 tablespoons)

Sambar powder (1-2 spoons)

Salt

Water (2 cups)

Rice flour (optional)

Jaggery (optional)

Method:

• Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chilly, curry leaves and asafoetida one-by-one to hot sesame oil.
• Add dried manathakkali followed by sambar powder and stir on low flame.
• Once the masala is fried enough, add the tamarind pulp along with two cups of water.
• Also add salt for taste and stir occasionally until the gravy thickens and oil specks on the top. This might take about 30 minutes.
• In order to hasten the thickening process, add one teaspoon of rice flour. Add half spoon jaggery for a tinge of sweetness and end the process.

This delicious gravy can be served with rice.

Manathakkali Keerai Koottu

Ingredients
Manathakkali Leaves (2 cups)

Moong Dal (3 tablespoon)

Grated coconut (¼ cup)

Turmeric powder (half teaspoon)

Cumin seeds (one teaspoon)

Red chilly (1)

Rice flour (1 teaspoon)

Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon)

Sesame oil (1 tablespoon)

Urad dal (1 teaspoon)

Curry leaves

Sugar

Salt

Method

• Cook moong dal well, mash it and set aside.
• Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds, red chilli and rice flour into a paste and set aside.
• Heat oil and add mustard seeds followed by urad dal and curry leaves.
• Add chopped Manathakkali leaves along with salt and a pinch of sugar to cook well.
• Add cooked moong dal and grinded coconut mix and stir thoroughly.
• Pour some water to loosen the mix.
• Once it boils, switch off the flame and serve hot.

Manathakkali Keerai Soup

Mananthakkali Leaves (1 cup)
Garlic (3 cloves crushed)
Shallots (12 chopped)
Small Tomato (1 chopped)
Pepper Powder (1/2 teaspoon)
Cumin Seeds Powder (1/2 teaspoon)
Ghee (1 tablespoon)
Salt

• Heat the ghee and add garlic.
• Add chopped shallots and saute for a minute.
• Add manathakkali leaves and saute.
• Add tomato and salt.
• Add 3 cups of water and boil.
• Cook for about 5 minutes over medium flame.
• Finally, add pepper powder and cumin powder, mix well and serve.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

Health agencies across India are on alert after at least 13 confirmed cases of Norovirus have been recorded in Kerala’s Wayanad district. The disease was first reported in some students of a veterinary college in Pookode two weeks ago.

Here’s a look at what the virus is, how it spreads, its symptoms and what can be done to protect yourself.

What is Norovirus

According to America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Norovirus is a contagious virus that is “the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the world, annually causing an estimated 685 million cases.”

It is usually more common in cooler winter months, with most outbreaks occurring from November to April. Hence, it is sometimes referred to as the ‘winter vomiting bug’.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms are sudden onset of severe diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and stomach cramps. Some people may also suffer from fever, headaches and body aches. These symptoms usually start 12 to 48 hours after being infected by Norovirus and typically last about one to three days.

How It Spreads

Like every virus, Norovirus needs a host to survive for an extended period. It, therefore, spreads from person to person and is highly contagious. It can be transmitted via direct contact with an infected person, contact with a contaminated surface, and consuming contaminated food or water.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Norovirus transmissions occur most frequently in crowded places such as hospitals, schools, colleges, restaurants and cruise ships. As a result, Norovirus is often referred to as the ‘cruise ship virus’ because of how quickly it spreads in close quarters.

Diagnosis

Examination of stool samples is the preferred method to diagnose Norovirus, although other tests are also available. Diagnosis can also be made based on symptoms alone.

Treatment

Most people infected by Norovirus recover at home itself with sufficient rest and intake of fluids to prevent dehydration. That said, the virus can be fatal — it causes severe malnutrition and dehydration if it lingers in your body for too long. As such, patients with severe symptoms may have to be treated in a hospital with fluids. Unfortunately, there is no specific medicine for the illness.

So if you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant and suspect you may be infected, visit a doctor.

Prevention

The best way to prevent Norovirus spread is by maintaining good personal hygiene and keeping a clean surrounding. Disinfect surfaces often, especially when someone in the neighbourhood has developed symptoms. Also, avoid stale food, food exposed to open air or food cooked by someone who may be sick.

As per the guidelines issued by Health Ministry,

“Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet. Those who interact with animals should pay special attention. Chlorinate drinking water sources, wells and storage tanks with bleaching powder. Use chlorinated water for domestic use. Use only boiled water for drinking. Fruits and vegetables should only be used after they have been thoroughly washed. Sea fish and shellfish such as crab and mussels must only be consumed after being well cooked.”

If you or someone in your household has been infected by Norovirus, ensure minimal contact with other members. Also, wash their clothes and other contaminated items with hot water and detergent.

If you are suffering from similar symptoms, wait at least two days after recovering before preparing meals or taking care of others. It is important to note that there are several types of Norovirus, so having the disease does not protect one from being infected again.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde) 

There is no space on Swapna James’ 15-acre farm that has been left unattended. She has judiciously and smartly used every inch of the field to implement a farming technique called intercropping. 

The 45-year-old says her interest in farming piqued after she got married. She decided to help her husband James in organic farming and underwent training conducted by the Agriculture Department and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) 15 years ago. In the process, she ended up putting the tiny village of Kulakkattukurissi, located in Kerala’s Palakkad district, on the organic crop map of India. 

While she began with a moderate investment, she has since doubled her income and inspired other farmers in the region to eliminate chemical use and adopt organic methods of cultivation. Today, she earns an average revenue of Rs 2 lakh per acre, and the farm gives upto Rs 30 lakh in a year, which is almost twice as much as she was earning previously. 

Companion planting 

Swapna says the training she received gave her the confidence to experiment with her land, which was previously monocultural (a one crop land). Instead of growing just one crop (rubber), she sowed coconut, arecanut, cocoa, nutmeg, coffee, jackfruit and pepper. Her field also has tapioca, banana, ginger, turmeric, yam, bitter gourd, chilly, snake gourd, little gourd, diverse tuber crops, and more. 

“Initially we were using chemicals to grow rubber and incurring losses as a result. Either the demand would come down, or, if our plantation was damaged, there was no alternative income source. The soil quality had already deteriorated and the only advantage we had was that we had huge land. In 2006, we diversified. We knew if it wouldn’t work, we could fall back on rubber plantations,” Swapna, a mother of two, tells The Better India.

She adopted intercropping, wherein one crop is grown between rows of other crops. She has also integrated fishpond and animal husbandry as additional income sources.

“The crops are selected in a way that reduces water usage, increases soil fertility, fixes nitrogen and prevents pest attacks. The perfect combination is attained over a period of trials and errors. During the experiments, it is important to keep notes of how the plants, roots, seeds, fruits, and flowers react. The crops share sunlight and nutrients instead of fighting for them,” Swapna explains.

Swapna has planted coconut, nutmeg and turmeric together. Nutmeg and turmeric are shade loving trees that can thrive in between the coconut trees. Similarly, rubber is intercropped with cocoa, coffee, vegetables and bananas. She sows as per the growth of rubber plants. In early weeks, she plants crops that require more sunlight and in later years, ones that can be grown in shade. Pulses and legumes are planted in between the trees to fix nitrogen, and crops like coriander and turmeric make for excellent pest-repellent, she notes. 

Due to the companion plantation methods, Swapna has been able to grow numerous varieties of each plant. For instance, she has grown 45 varieties of mangoes like chandrakaran, mallika, sindhooram, kalapadi; 33 diverse jackfruit trees like gumless, muttam varikka, thenvarikka, sindhoori; 26 nutmeg varieties, 14 different guava trees; eight trees from the lemon family; 12 okra varieties, and more. 

She has also grown milk fruit (star apple), star fruit, pomegranate, burmese grapes, cherry, mulberry, strawberry, custard apple, and passion fruit. Some medicinal plants include tulsi (Holy Basil), chittamruth (Giloy), panikoorkka (Patta Ajwain), kacholam (Galanga).

The intercropping ensures a steady cash flow throughout the year with different harvesting patterns. 

Input costs are another way that Swapna saves money — she has considerably cut down on such costs by keeping three cows to prepare jeevamrutham (cow urine + dung) as a natural fertiliser. 

Alongside, she uses Beejamrutha and Panchagavya. While jeevamrutha can be used at any stage of plantation, panchgavya works best before the flowering takes place. The latter is a mixture of five ingredients — cow dung, cow urine, curd, milk and ghee, which enhance the soil fertility and drive away pests. Swapna also adds jaggery and banana to the mixture sometimes. Meanwhile, beejamrutha (a mixture of lime, water, cow dung and cow urine) is used for seed treatment for soil borne diseases. 

She collects dry leaves and repurposes them as mulch for the soil and collects nearly 4 lakh litres of rainwater in the artificial pond every year. 

“I barely purchase anything from outside. For some cycles, we do buy neem cakes and seeds from outside, but the costs are very minimal,” Swapna adds. 

For her diversified knowledge and successful experiments, she was given the ‘Innovative Farmer’ award by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR) earlier this year. 

Edited by Divya Sethu 

Everyone thought Neehaari Mandali’s life was over when she attempted suicide by setting herself on fire. Not many around her acknowledged the abuse the then 20-year-old had faced from her husband’s family, but cursed her “impulsive” decision to take her own life.

But the universe had different plans for her. Today, Neehaari lives with 55 percent burn injuries, and is working to make this world a better place for herself as well as for those who have suffered the way she has.

She helps people with post-burn deformities undergo plastic surgeries free of cost. Her services spread across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.

On a mission

In a conversation with The Better India, Neehaari, now 32, says that even as she works on slowly getting her life back on track, she realises that her battles against her injuries will continue forever.

She says, “The afterlife of a burn survivor is really hard, with multiple surgeries and medication. It requires money, effort and, most importantly, motivation.” She adds that the difficulties of living with her injuries are plenty — on some days, she can’t even hold a spoon in her hands.

While picking the pieces of her own life back up, Neehaari decided to extend her reach to other burn victims, and formed the Burn Survivor Mission Saviour Trust. The organisation, with the help of compassionate groups and surgeons, has supervised 126 operations so far, and conducted over 900 counselling sessions, she notes.

Among those she has helped is Reshma Rajan from Kottayam, who met with an unfortunate accident when she was 17, and survived with 50 per cent burn injuries. “I came to know about the programme through a newspaper report. One out of my three surgeries has been done, and my neck is more flexible now. All this has been possible thanks to Neehaari ma’am and her team,” she tells The Better India.

In 2014, Neehaari met Dr M K Muneer, a physician and politician who was volunteering at a plastic surgery camp being held by the trust in Andhra Pradesh.

In 2017, Muneer invited her to Kozhikode in Kerala to conduct a similar camp, wherein 24 free surgeries were organised. Neehaari says that since then, Kerala has become her second home.

Neehaari’s trust has also joined hands with Pettah Cosmetiq Clinic, Kerala Plastic Surgeons Association and Trivandrum Round Table 66 to perform free post-burn surgeries on 15 survivors from Kerala. “Seven cases are already done and the remaining will be done in a few days,” says Neehaari, who currently resides in Thiruvananthapuram.

She says she receives relentless support from several people in Kerala. “Dr Bibilash Babu and serial actor Anoop Sivasenan play key roles in the current project,” Neehaari adds.

Making the world aware

Post burn surgeries are expensive and not very prevalent, Neehaari explains. So she focuses on helping people with burn injuries who do not have financial stability or are unaware of such treatments altogether. Free surgery recipients are selected based on these factors, as well as their age and burn percentage.

“People have this perception that plastic surgeries are only done on celebrities to enhance their beauty, which is wrong. It is also a significant method to resist the contraction of a burn survivor’s body after wound healing,” explains Neehaari.

According to her, there are enough fully-facilitated government hospitals for fresh burn treatment. But there is no proper awareness about post-burn deformities. Private hospitals provide this service, which most people can’t afford.

To cover this gap, Neehaari hopes to conduct awareness programmes in schools and colleges across.

“I want society to consider burn survivors as normal humans. Also, survivors should seek assistance to get back to ordinary life and find their own identity,” she adds.

Neehaari is currently in search of a job to support herself and her social work.

All picture credits: Neehaari Mandali
You can reach out to her on +91 7680974918 or on Facebook.

When Sujith Swami Nikarthil first sounded the idea of growing sunflowers on his two-acre farm at Kanjikkuzhi, Alappuzha district, people were sceptical. They said sunflowers don’t grow well in Kerala and mockingly asked him what he planned to do with so many sunflowers? But Sujith wasn’t one to give up on his resolutions. He was no ordinary farmer, and in the past year, he had successfully cultivated a series of crops considered unsuitable for the sandy soil of Alappuzha — shallots, basmati rice and even a floating marigold farm on the Vembanad lake. The floating marigolds grew on patches of decomposed water hyacinths and attracted visitors from all over, again a first in the state.

Not only did Sujith prove the sceptics wrong with the sunflowers, but he has also become a ‘sunflower ambassador’ of sorts, inspiring many others to follow in his footsteps. There were 6,000-8,000 sunflowers in full bloom on his farm in 60 days in the first season itself.

The profits he reaped were not from selling the flowers but from ‘sunflower tourism’.

The sight of thousands of golden sunflowers in the tiny village of Kanjikuzhi spread like wildfire on social media, and people started pouring in from all over the state to catch a glimpse of the field, click selfies and organise photoshoots. They had seen such a sight only in the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu or Karnataka.

When the crowds started growing, Sujith enclosed his field with a makeshift fence using saris and nets and put up a ticket paywall for a nominal fee of Rs 10. People didn’t mind paying, and nearly 1 lakh people visited the farm in 2020. This is his third season growing sunflowers at a bigger farm, which borders the National Highway at Alappuzha. “Vehicles passing by can now stop to take a tour,” he says.

So how did he manage such a ‘golden’ yield? “I didn’t do anything extraordinary. We have preconceived notions that certain crops won’t do well in certain areas, and the purpose of these experiments was to show they would,” says Sujith. “I procured hybrid sunflower seeds suitable for sunflower oil from outside Kerala and first grew them into saplings. Once the saplings were 10-12 days old, I planted them in rows.”

He uses a fresh set of seeds and saplings for each new season, as the ones harvested from the flowers wouldn’t have the same quality.
Sujith has also used the technique of open precision farming, wherein the saplings are grown using mulching sheets. “Water and fertilisers seep too fast in sandy soil. The sheets keep the earth cool, and you need to do only minimal watering. The soil also retains its fertility.”

He also follows a mixed farming method; rearing ducks, goats and cows alongside whose dung is used as organic manure. He also has a fish farm and has grown vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, okra, spinach, chillies, pumpkin and even watermelon in the past 10 years as a farmer.

Meanwhile, Sujith also experimented with producing sunflower oil, unusual in Kerala. “In two weeks, the flowers start wilting, and in the next two weeks, the seeds will be ripe enough to be dried and made into sunflower oil. We could make 1 kg of oil from every 4-4.5 kg of seeds.” Then, the oil was taken to a lab in Trivandrum to be tested to ensure it was safe for consumption. “Currently, we are selling sunflower oil for Rs 500 per kg. I hope to bring down the costs of the sunflower oil by using machinery soon,” he says.

In the first season, Sujith planted cucumbers as well beneath the sunflowers. “I wanted to make sure I didn’t suffer losses, which is why I interspersed it with cucumber. But I got back my investment of Rs 2 lakhs from my cucumber yield alone. So the profits from the tickets and the sunflower oil were a bonus.”

These profits amounted to nearly Rs 10 lakh.

From the second sunflower season onwards, the farm had walking spaces between the rows keeping tourists in mind. “We hiked the fee to Rs 20, but that didn’t stop the tourists,” he says. Sujith added marigold and chrysanthemum alongside the sunflowers in the second season and presented the final yield as a ticketed flower show and nursery. “The heavy rains proved to be a slight dampener. Also, sunflowers fall easily during the rains. The third season is looking good, though. December-April is the best part of the year for growing sunflowers, as it is dry and warm.”

Sujith plans to grow sunflowers on a larger farm of five acres next. He is also planning to make it suitable for film shoots. “I never expected it to be such a hit. I just wanted to prove that sunflower farming is possible in Kerala. So many farmers have asked me how to go about it, and sunflower farms are now coming up in every district.”

Sujith also hopes that the government and the tourism dept will take up farm tourism more seriously in the coming years. “I attended a meeting on the subject in the capital city recently. If the sale of farmers’ produce can be arranged along with tourism, it would be a great boost for the farming sector.” For his efforts, Sujith was awarded the Yuva Karshakan Award in 2014.

Interestingly, Sujith is a hotel management graduate and worked in the field for a few years before turning his focus entirely into farming. “My family was into farming, but it was not considered profitable for those of my generation. I wanted to prove that notion wrong and hope I will inspire other farmers,” he says.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

Sruthy Sithara has made India proud by winning the title of Ms Trans Global Universe 2021. The 25-year-old Kerala native is the first Indian to hold this title, held during an online event.

“Miss Trans Global 2021. This smile means a lot. For me, for my community, for my country, for the transglobal organisation, for all those who are oppressed and marginalised. Here I am, Sruthy Sithara, Miss Trans Global 2021 Title Winner. Thank you so much to all who are behind this successful journey,” Sruthy posted.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sruthy Sithara (@sruthy_sithara__)

Sruthy says she was only expecting a position among the top five in the six-month-long competition, and that the title came as a surprise to her. She thanked her fellow competitors as well as her family for the achievement.

Meanwhile, many chimed in to congratulate her, including Kerala Higher Education Minister Dr R Bindu. “Keralite Sruthy Sithara has been selected as Miss Trans Global 2021, a title she achieved after a long fight against prejudices galore and the narrow mindset of our society. A matter of immense pride for Kerala. Congratulations Sruthy.”

Keralite Sruthy Sithara has been selected as Miss Trans Global 2021, a title she achieved after a long fight against prejudices galore and the narrow mindset of our society. A matter of immense pride for Kerala. Congratulations Sruthy… pic.twitter.com/tJThRAHBJy

— Dr R Bindu (@rbinducpm) December 2, 2021

In an interview, Sruthy said, “Since the competition had been going for so long, the participants have been keeping in contact through social media groups. We couldn’t meet physically as the pageant was held online this year. It would have been much more exciting to meet everyone in London, where the pageant was supposed to take place. But that didn’t affect the camaraderie or the pressure. I think online was much tougher to pull off.”

‘It’s a privilege’

Hailing from Kottayam, Sruthy works as the project assistant at Kerala Government’s Transgender Cell.

“I grew up in a family that has always loved me to bits. My mom is no more, but my dad, brother and his wife have all been extremely supportive of me. Thanks to them, I didn’t have to endure a phase of fights in my locality either, unlike many trans people. Your family is your first society and if they accept you, the rest of the world will have to follow suit,” Sruthy said in an interview with Times Of India.

Regardless, she experienced many roadblocks along her journey; constant bullying in school, an identity crisis, and more.

“I too have been subjected to various kinds of ‘treatment’ a transgender person would usually face from peers at school and college. My effeminate nature has often made me the butt of jokes and hurtful comments. There were many who found one reason or the other to poke fun at me, but I managed to handle it by changing the subject, laughing it off or acting as though I didn’t pay attention. I have hardly reacted to the mean comments aimed at me,” shared Sruthy with TOI.

In college, she had the opportunity to meet a few members of the trans community at an event held in Kochi. She says that this made her realise that it being trans was completely normal, and she decided to embrace who she was.

In order to normalise LGBTQ rights and create public acceptance towards queer relationships, Sruthy and her friends started an online campaign called The Kaleidoscope. “We want the world to know we are normal and are an equal part of society. Many people who are scared to come out have been approaching me about their struggles,” she told The New Indian Express.

“[I am] Privileged to be a transgender person, [and] will inspire everyone to come through with flying colours with determination and positive attitude towards life. That’s my motto too,” said Sruthy while answering a question about her wishes of contributing to society, at a trans beauty pageant, Kochi in 2018.

Sruthy has also been crowned the Most Eloquent Queen at the pageant. She wishes to work for the betterment of trans lives and support them in every possible way.

When the administrators of Palakkad District Heritage Museum, also known as Mani Iyer Museum, approached Sajeesh Pulavar to make some dolls, he remembers thinking back to his idea five years ago.

“In 2015, I discussed this project with my cousin who works for Inker Robotics. Considering the huge expense, we dropped the plan. But when the pandemic struck, the idea was reignited,” says Sajeesh.

The Kerala native incorporated a first-of-its-kind robotics technique in the 700-year-old traditional art form of Tholpaavakoothu that is now displayed in a museum.

Tholpaavakoothu involves the movement of dolls made of leather to narrate the epic Kambaramayana. Traditionally, the act is done manually behind a screen by lighting oil lamps. Usually performed in temples, the shadow of dolls moving gracefully is a visual delight.

He adds, “With the funding from museum authorities and a Delhi-based interior designing company, the episode of Lord Rama’s pursuit to catch the golden deer was selected for the robotic application. A total of four leather puppets, which included Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, Lakshmana and the deer, were automated. It cost Rs 1,50,000 to complete the project.”

The puppets are made and then comes the coding. It took months of brainstorming and effort to finally complete the process in 2020.

However, Sajeesh doesn’t consider robotics as an alternative to manual performance. He sees it as a method to bring in the interest of people to this ‘dying art’. “It is impossible to automate the whole art form. A team of 8-10 artists perform at temples for 21 days from 10 pm to 5 am which makes an aggregate of 210 hours. No machine can replace human perfection in this art,” says the 32-year-old BTech graduate.

Hailing from the traditional Pulavar family who are masters in Tholpavakoothu, Sajeesh left his job in an MNC to help his father Lakshmana Pulavar in preserving the art.

The 13th generation of the Pulavar family, Sajeesh’s childhood memories mostly involve a temple, the golden light from oil lamps and shadows of puppets. “I almost knew 30 songs down pat. I was and still am crazy about this art form which never fails to amaze me,” he says.
So, rather than sticking to the old norms of performing at temples, he started to experiment with different formats at various stages.

“We can’t deviate from the traditional methods at temples as people do it as an offering. But on other stages, we have much more freedom to gain the traction of more people other than the temple-going masses,” he adds.

To date, he says, he has completed hundreds of Tholpaavakoothu puppet shows.

Asked about the income from such shows Sajeesh says, “Major part of our income comes from temples itself. During the offseason, we engage in preparing the puppets as well as performing at stage shows. I continue to work in a company so that we don’t have to completely rely on the art form.”

Apart from performing on stages, Sajeesh conducts workshops/classes for school/college students and arranges shows as part of the government’s awareness programmes. He also travels to learn more about puppetry and its diversification.

“Our puppets are displayed in various parts of the country, including Bengaluru and Delhi. The robotic display is arranged for the first time in India. Countries like China already have such exhibitions,” says Sajeesh in pride.

This passionate youngster is a recipient of the Yuva Pratibha award (folklore) of the State Government in 2020 and has staged hundreds of programmes in multiple parts of the world.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

Sathyanarayana Beleri, of Nettinege village in Kasaragod, grew up watching beautiful paddy fields that flourished in his village. He was very fond of the crop, its fields and the pathways around them where the reapers gathered the paddy bundles after harvesting.

Unfortunately, his family never owned a paddy field.

Now, at the age of 48, Sathyanarayana owns a paddy field with more than 650 varieties of rice from different parts of the world. His four acres of land was not suitable for paddy cultivation due to geographical reasons, but this didn’t disappoint Sathyanarayana. 

He artificially created a paddy field in his 25 cents of land by using tarpaulin and grow bags. He grows the rice varieties mostly in grow bags by storing water in the tarpaulin. A few varieties are also cultivated directly on the land.

“I am not cultivating paddy for profit but for the love of it”

“I am not cultivating paddy for profit but for the love of it and also for conserving a wide range of its varieties that exist in different parts of our country or even outside. Students and researchers visit my field very often to see these rare varieties of rice,” says Sathyanarayana.

The wide range of paddy varieties in Sathyanarayana’s collection includes rice from different states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Assam and Manipur. There are even rice varieties from outside India like the Philippines and Japan. The collection also includes paddy varieties like Kagga that grows on saline soil, Vellathovan that grows in water-scarce land and even varieties with many medicinal benefits like Ambemohar, Karigajavali, etc. Rice varieties in different colours like white, black, red, purple and green also grow on his field.

Sathyanarayana says, “When I receive the seeds I sow them in soil-filled paper cups and let them germinate. After they germinate, I replant them into the grow bags mixed with soil and cow dung powder. Then I place the grow bags in the tarpaulin filled with water. I do this method since it’s not a land suitable for paddy cultivation, which requires water all the time. This method helps to store the water which retains the right amount of moisture required for the grow bags. It also helps in reducing rat menace.”

All paddy varieties on Sathyanarayana’s field are labelled. When the paddy flowers, he keeps the grow bags at a distance from each other in order to avoid cross-pollination. He harvests around 300 grams of seeds from each grow bag. He also gives out the seeds of his rice varieties for free to people who need them. The Kerala Agricultural University and the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences in Shivamogga have used paddy varieties from his collection for breeding programmes.

Collecting rice varieties for almost 15 years

Sathyanarayana started collecting rice varieties almost 15 years ago when he learnt about an organic farmer in Udupi who was giving away seeds of Rajakayame rice variety. 

It was the first rice variety that he grew on his land and thereafter he kept adding more varieties every year. He has even travelled to different states in search of paddy varieties.

“There are friends and relatives of mine who send me paddy seeds from different places. I have obtained seeds from the Kerala Agricultural University as well. I also receive seeds from many agricultural scientists and researchers across the country,” adds Sathyanarayana

Recently, Sathyanarayana was honoured by the Union Ministry of Agriculture for his efforts in conserving rare and historic rice varieties. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar presented him with the ‘Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Reward’ in Delhi on November 11. He was nominated by the Kerala Agricultural University.

“I am happy to receive this honour and it is a token of encouragement for farmers like me. I want to dedicate this honour to all the rice farmers in Kasaragod,” Sathyanarayana says.

Besides the paddy cultivation, Sathyanarayana grows rubber, nutmeg and areca nut on his remaining land. He has also started collecting different varieties of jackfruit trees, mango trees and pepper from different places.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

In 2012, when Sanju Soman started an NGO named SARSAS (Save A Rupee Spread a Smile) in Thiruvananthapuram, which aimed at encouraging charity and social work in youngsters, he never thought that it would be the beginning of his unique career.

Almost a decade later, in November 2021, Sanju was selected as one of the 17 young climate leaders from India by the United Nations as part of their campaign ‘We the Change’, for his exceptional work. The campaign aims to showcase climate solutions developed by young Indians to inspire people towards climate action.

As a child, Sanju grew up in Saudi Arabia but always longed to return to his home town in Adoor, Kerala. So, after Class 10, he moved there and pursued his graduation in psychology from SN College. It was during his college days that he started SARSAS, which turned out to be one of the largest youth-led NGOs in the capital city.

“After starting my first NGO, SARSAS, I realised that there are a lot of youngsters who are ready to do social work but they are unable to do so, due to the lack of a proper platform,” says the 28-year-old.

SARSAS raised around Rs 70 lakh over five years to support cancer patients and individuals with renal issues who were from vulnerable communities. Also, under Sanju’s leadership, they were able to create a cohort of over 300 volunteers in the NGO with whom they launched various social projects.

Later in 2013, Sanju led a rainwater harvesting project along with another foundation. His team was able to facilitate the installation of a rooftop rainwater harvesting system in more than 80 households in Malayinkeezhu — a drought-prone region.

In 2014, he joined the Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS) in Mumbai, to pursue his post graduation in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies.

“I then formed a committee to solve the water shortage in the institute during my second year at TISS, and we installed a rainwater recharge system on the campus,” says Sanju.

A ‘Model Wetland Village’

After completing his post graduation, Sanju joined the Ashoka Trust for research in ecology and the environment (ATREE) and led the Habitat learning project in 2016. There he trained teachers and students of government schools near the Vembanad Lake in Kerala for a period of two years.

Vembanad Lake in the Alappuzha district is the second largest Ramsar wetland site in India and also one of the most diverse and flood vulnerable regions in the State.

He adds, “We mostly engaged with them in teaching the students and teachers about climate change and the importance of habitat conservation with a focus on wetlands, especially the one that they live by.”

This work made him one of the 58 Global school ambassadors from across the world who were chosen by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) to scale up SDG education in schools.

Later, in 2018, in collaboration with ATREE, Sanju conceptualised a project on developing the first ‘model wetland village’ in Muhamma in Alappuzha district of Kerala.

A model wetland village is the concept of making a wetland village sustainable and self-sufficient. This can be achieved by training the people of the village to have an alternative livelihood, cleaning the water bodies, reducing plastic pollution, promoting sustainable tourism, reducing energy demand and streamlining waste management.

“Muhamma is a small village which is also part of the Vembanad-Kol Ramsar wetland site. I have been working there with the community and the local government in making it a model wetland village. We developed a three-year plan to make the panchayat energy efficient, plastic-free, and also to improve the livelihood of people,” Sanju says.

Sanju claims, “The three-year project that started in 2018 is still a work in progress but there have been drastic changes like reduced plastic consumption, increase in tree cover in the area, recovery of canals, improved menstruation practices, etc.”

A social innovation lab

For Sanju’s initiative, a social innovation lab was also set up in Muhamma village, which trained over 150 women from the fishing communities on cloth upcycling. He was also part of an initiative to make Muhamma the first Synthetic sanitary napkin-free village.

Sanju says, “As part of the synthetic sanitary napkin-free village initiative, 40 per cent of the women in the village were provided with cloth pads and menstrual cups at a subsidised cost. Also large-scale awareness drives were conducted on menstrual health.”

Simultaneously, Sanju and his friends started a social enterprise named BHAVA in 2018 to support those women making upcycled goods to sell their products in the market. They succeeded in providing a minimum wage of Rs 5,000/month to around 40 women through this as an additional income. They also launched one of the largest upcycling effort in Kerala and converted around 30,000 kg of cloth waste into usable products.

In the same year, Sanju founded SUSTERA Foundation, an NGO with the aim of training youngsters in climate action, capacity building of local self-government. institutions, and supporting climate entrepreneurs.

“We started the first Climate Leadership Programme in Kerala and trained around 15 youngsters who hailed from vulnerable regions. We have also been supporting climate entrepreneurs and innovators from Kerala to scale up their ideas and business which can help solve the climate issue and we have mentored over 70 entrepreneur teams over the past few years,” adds Sanju.

Sanju’s commitment to environmental sustainability and social work has been reflected in his personal life as well. In 2020, Sanju had a low-key green wedding on World Environment Day — June 5.

“I met Sonu while we were working at the ATREE and our ideologies matched. We didn’t want an extravagant wedding. So, we convinced our parents and had a low-key green wedding. We didn’t print any wedding invites. Instead, we used the money kept for the wedding to help people in need during the pandemic. We also used some money to develop a Miyawaki forest in a small piece of land,” says Sanju.

Sanju currently works with the World Institute of Sustainable Energy, researching to understand and facilitate multi-level climate governance in Kerala. He also manages his NGO, SUSTERA with its new initiatives in Kerala like creating an ecosystem for green enterprises and eco-restoration.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

A group of climate-conscious individuals in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala have found a unique solution to the problem of abandoned saplings by developing an application that could provide transparency while planting trees and tracking their growth.

‘Tree Tag’ aims to bring in solutions to the difficulty of tracking the growth and survivability of trees that you plant.

Abhijith Kumar Meenakumari, Aashutosh B Sai, Mohamed Wazeer and Anoop Babu launched Tree Tag and developed an eponymous app.

Abhijith and Aashutosh were schoolmates and were later joined by Mohamed Wazeer, Abhijith’s colleague from his first startup Alphavogue, and Anoop Babu, the director of another NGO Vydyuthi Energy Services in Thiruvananthapuram.

The application could bring in digital transparency while planting trees and during their growth.
This app helps in monitoring the growth of the trees that were planted by the user, until a period of three years from the date of its planting.

It provides a platform for individuals or organisations to sponsor trees without the need of procuring, planting, and maintaining the trees themselves.

This green startup was registered in August 2021, at the Technology Business Incubator, Government Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram and is backed by the NGO Thanal.

The Tree Tag is an effort to create a resilient and sustainable environment for the future.

“We created a platform which could help the organisations, corporates or even individuals who put so much effort into planting trees. The Tree Tag app will help them access the data on the trees and monitor its growth,” Abhijith Kumar tells The Better India

Trees can be sponsored through the Tree Tag app, where a tree sapling is priced at Rs 170.

Any individual, organisation or corporate can use the app to sponsor as many trees as they want through the app. There’s also a provision in the app for individuals who want to host a green event on their special occasions.

The sponsored trees will be then planted by the affiliated NGOs through farmers. Later, the NGOs assign their volunteers to geo-tag the trees and thereby monitor their growth status.

“The saplings are handed over to farmers mostly because we believe that they could provide them with a secure environment where they will be taken good care of. After planting them, our volunteers geo-tag the tree with all the required data including pictures. Later, updates will be provided to its sponsor,” says Manju M Nair, Assistant director at Thanal.

Manju adds, “We only provide fruit-bearing trees in this initiative so that the farmers will also get benefit from it. This program is currently active in Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad and Palakkad districts and it has a good reception among farmers as well.”

Trees can be sponsored through the Tree Tag app.

The tagging of trees is done through the phone and the app provides data like the common name and scientific name of the tree, its location, date of planting, sponsor name, planter name, an approximation of carbon sequestration, etc.

“The app provides updates every six months until a period of three years as three years would be enough for a tree to grow and flourish. The app provides the growth statistics of the tree as well as its pictures with every update. If a tree dies before the three years of its monitoring period, we will replant it with another new sapling,” says Manju.

Also, the Tree Tag app is free for the student community to encourage the young generation to come forward and to engage in activities like planting drives.

“More NGOs are now coming forward to support Tree Tag. Currently, we have over 400 users and have planted and tagged more than 800 trees since its launch in August. The process of tagging takes time as it is done manually. Now we are in the process of tagging over 5,000 trees planted by Mahindra logistics in Wayanad,” says Mohamed Wazeer.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

Kayamkulam resident Anju Karthika’s front yard and terrace are dotted with beautiful Table Roses and ever-so-elegant Adeniums, in a variety of colours. Her love for the former, also known as Portulaca, can be traced back to when she was in high school, she says.

“When I was in class 10, I developed an interest in gardening. In particular, Table Roses fascinated me with their vast varieties and beautiful shades,” Anju tells The Better India.

“Around 2013 – 2014, I observed the arrival of very unique colour varieties of Table Roses in Kerala. Eventually, I found out that they were imported from different countries like Thailand and Brazil. I decided to collect them,” she says, adding that she would purchase these from sellers in Chennai and Pune.

Starting with just 15, Anju currently nurtures over 200 varieties of Table Roses, as well as other flowers. “I also have a huge collection of Adeniums, with over 400 varieties and shades,” she adds.

The 49-year-old notes, “It began as a hobby, but eventually, it became more than that,” while adding that she makes around Rs 20,000 per month by selling her flowers.

Named ‘Green Flora’, Anju’s garden is spread across spaces around her house situated on 10 cents of land. The terrace has also been utilised for this purpose.

“When I started collecting the plants, I wasn’t aware of the potential of social media. My friends added me to certain gardening groups, from where I learnt about several varieties of Table Roses from outside India, as well as how to source them. I contacted sellers from cities like Pune and Chennai via Facebook,” explains Anju.

Table roses are succulent flowering plants that can be grown easily with a wide range of colours and patterns. These flowers are also known as pathumani poo, which means ‘10 am flowers’ in Malayalam. They bloom at around 10 am and shrink by evening.

Apart from Table Roses, she has a huge collection of Adeniums (desert rose), another ornamental flowering plant that is a favourite among gardening enthusiasts. “After learning about them through an agriculture magazine, I started collecting their seeds. There are different species of Adenium. Currently, I have over 2,000 Adenium plants in over 400 varieties,” she says.

“These plants require minimal care and good sunlight. They bloom in summer and the flowers stay for around two to three weeks. They are capable of growing into a small trees, but their beauty is best brought out by continuous pruning. This lets the plant spread out and grow in a bushy fashion,” says Anju, who also does grafting to propagate different varieties with varied colours and patterns of flowers.

“Seeds from Adenium can be collected and propagated,” she says. “When it comes to Table Roses, cross-pollination happens on its own, and hybrids with different shades and colour combinations can be made easily. They can also be grafted if required.”

Apart from Table Roses and Adenium, Anju also grows several indoor plants like Alocasia, Philodendron, Syngonium, Begonia, Aglaonema and also Bougainvillaea.

“I mostly use organic fertilisers like cow dung powder, and also use NPK fertiliser once in a while for my plants,” she says.

“The rates of Adenium range from Rs 250 to Rs 3,000, and when it comes to Table Roses, they’re very cheap, starting at Rs 10 or Rs 20. I don’t grow them like they do in nurseries. I only sell off those plants or varieties that are in excessive numbers. But if you know how to take care of these plants and propagate varieties in huge numbers, it really is a profitable business. One can easily make Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh per month. Mine is a small scale venture,” she adds.

Anju sells her plants to people who contact her via Facebook or phone. She also sells plant stems and saplings to people over long distances via courier.

If you’re interested in ordering table roses or adenium, you can contact Anju at 9946808869.

(Edited by Divya Sethu)

Five years ago, Payyannur, Kerala, native Dananjayan A V, left his cable operator job to look after his family. With his wife employed and two kids starting school, he found a lot of free time each day. Terrace farming was thus taken up as a hobby.

Months passed and he grew more interested in farming. He joined a Facebook community called Krishithottam Group (KTG) from which scientific and organic farming ideas were acquired.

“I began with vegetable farming in a few grow bags following traditional methods. Now there are 250 bags in which I grow vegetables like okra, brinjal, tomato, chilli, and bitter gourd as well as seasonal greens like lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and capsicum,” says the 48-year-old.

Dananjayan uses the drip irrigation method on his 1000-sq-ft terrace which saves water and time. It requires refilling once a week and is thus helpful if the family is not around for a week or two to look after the crops. Incorporating such scientific methods and yielding a good harvest made him the recipient of the Best Terrace Farmer award of the Kerala government in 2019.

The drip irrigation system employed by Dananjayan is different from the usual ones. It is portable and can be installed within five minutes. The system was developed by Biju Jalal, an innovator from Kollam. The system which consists of pipes and cloth strings is placed at the base and wide trays are set above. Grow bags or pots with plants are positioned upon them. The trays can hold up to 100 kg weight.

“There is a misconception that terrace farming will ruin the strength of a building,” he says, adding, “With technical knowledge, there is no danger at all. The grow bags are to be placed at a small height to avoid direct contact with water on the terrace. Or you can use waterproof paint on the terrace so that no damage occurs.”

The farmer also opines that if operated carefully, a grow bag can be used for up to three years.

Organic manure on a commercial basis

Dananjayan uses kitchen waste to make his organic manure at home which is an excellent source of nutrients for plants. It was later that he was introduced to composting and set up two dabbas to prepare them. Other than kitchen waste, dry leaves, twigs and poultry waste was added to it which made the process faster.

“There was manure leftover even after using it for my crops. So, I decided to level it up for sale. One kilogram of this manure is now sold for Rs 30. At present only 4 kg packets are available. All sales happen via Facebook and I get great feedback from farmers,” he says.

In addition to the manure business, the farmer also sells organic pest control sprays, seeds and saplings of crops. The highlight of all these products is that they are cheaper than the ones available at stores and gardens.

Even though Dananjayan has a piece of land near his house, he mostly concentrates on terrace farming. He cultivates red lady papaya in the land which is now in the growing stage. “I manage the whole area and process alone. Thus, there are many limitations,” he shares.

The farmer’s family is also interested in the cultivation and backs him with full support. “If you are planning to do terrace farming make sure to use organic fertilisers. That way we can harvest healthy produce that is also tasty,” he suggests.

If you are interested in purchasing products from this farmer, contact him on Facebook.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

“If we can create magic by using things that people least value these days, wouldn’t that be wonderful?,” says Architect Manasi, co-founder of Bhoomija creations, in a voice filled with contentment. The mud house built by Architect Manasi and her husband Architect Guruprasad stands tall in a beautiful village landscape adjacent to paddy fields in Pattambi, Palakkad district of Kerala.

Location: Pattambi in Palakkad, Kerala
Beds and bath: 3 bedrooms with attached bathrooms
Size: 2,000 sqft
Time it took to build: 6 years

The concept of a mud house came up when Mukesh C, a social worker approached the architect couple to build an eco-friendly house for their small family of four. “We always approach a project by considering all the challenges that come with it. Then we try to build something there that’s inclusive of nature, without breaking or disturbing its surroundings,” says Manasi, adding that the discussions that started with building an eco-friendly house using sustainable and eco-friendly materials or methods quickly elevated to the concept of building a mud house.

“When we visited the site, we noticed that the site had the potential to build a mud house, from where we could source the mud without manipulating the land much. The thought itself gave us so much excitement and our client as well-loved the idea,” she says with a smile.

Their ideas and efforts gave birth to ‘Gaea’, as named by the architects, a name that translates to mother earth in Greek. The eco-friendly and sustainable mud house of around 2,000 sqft was built based on the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle. The ancient sustainable construction methods adapted in building it also makes it cost-efficient.

A house that bloomed in the mud

Being social workers, Mukesh and his wife Smitha always had guests at home. So, when it came to building a house of their own, it wasn’t difficult for the couple to make a decision that would set a model in the society. “When my daughter brought tree saplings from her school, we didn’t know where to plant them. We were staying in a small concrete house which didn’t have enough space around it. That’s how we decided to buy a place where we can build an eco-friendly house and have enough space for our children and nature,” says Mukesh who bought 21 cents of land near a paddy field.

The one-storeyed mud house set in 10 cents of land is built keeping in mind the traditional architecture of Kerala and the ancient technique of cob. “We considered a few eco-friendly construction methods and finally decided to choose the cob method which was perfect for hand-sculptured spaces,” says Manasi.

“In the Cob method, we use a mixture of mud, straw, lime and water to build the walls. Besides, several other natural materials like rice husk, jaggery, kaduka leaf (terminalia chebula) etc are used in the mixture as stabilizers and also for better bondage and pest control. Once it’s dry, the surface is plastered with a mix of finely sieved soil and lime to get a smooth and sheen finish,” she elaborates, adding that there are no chemicals involved in the process.

Other than the mud walls, they have also included a few walls made using the stones obtained while digging a well within the site. “We have only used locally sourced materials for constructing the house, be it the mud or the stones,” she says.

The house, built in a curved fashion, has spacious three bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a kitchen, living space, study space, dining space, verandah, sit-out, car porch and a beautiful open courtyard in the middle with a lily-pond. “The courtyard helps in lighting the spaces around it and when it rains, the water falls through the courtyard. Which in turn helps in recharging the groundwater,” adds Mukesh.

“The best part about the living space is that we could see each and every corner of the house from there,” he says, adding that the open courtyard is his favourite space in the house.

The bedrooms have inbuilt bed cots with storage spaces. “The frame of the bed is built with red bricks and there’s more than enough space for storage. Besides, each bedroom has a big inbuilt wardrobe to keep everything inside rather than spreading it around the room,” he adds.

Though most of the walls are plastered with mud, the bathrooms have been plastered with cement. “The bathrooms are places that are prone to moisture risk, so it was better to use cement. We have also used broken tiles on the walls of the kitchen and bathroom to reduce the risk,” says Manasi, adding that the same way the rooms have several spaces decorated using broken tiles.

The study space comes as an extension of the verandah that runs around the courtyard connecting different corners of the house. “We also made built-in tables for children to study,” she adds.

“The windows, doors and most of the other parts that required wood uses reused or old wood that was sourced locally,” says Mukesh.

The roofing is done using double-layered clay tiles. “The space between the two layers helps in reducing the heat and keeps the rooms cool throughout. All the clay tiles were reused ones,” explains Manasi. “We have used the same clay tiles for building the compound walls as well,” she adds.

Mukesh says that the house is much cooler than a concrete house. “The house remains cool even this summer. We don’t have ACs here. Also, we don’t use fans most of the time except in afternoons when it gets a bit warmer,” he adds.

Talking about the cooling effect the house provides, Manasi says that it is one of the advantages of adapting the Cob method for construction. “Since the walls are built with mud, it provides a cooling effect. Unlike brick walls, the mud walls are thicker and hence it retains the coolness within the spaces inside,” she adds.

The flooring of the house is done using the traditional coloured oxide.

The kitchen has wooden racks and granite slabs. “The best part about the kitchen is a small window that opens to the front yard from where one could see people coming into the house. We can also serve tea or coffee to them through this window,” Mukesh says with a smile.

It took around six years to build the house, says Mukesh who had some financial constraints to build it in one stretch. “The budget calculated by the architects was Rs 35 lakh but since the construction process was extended to around six years, I had to spend around Rs 50 lakh including interior and site developments,” says Mukesh adding that the overall cost is still less than building a concrete house of this size.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

The Anganwadi centres operated by the state government aimed to provide adequate food and quality education for children under six years of age but often they lack toilets, have no drinking water facilities and wear leaky roofs, making conditions unbearable for children to access education.

The lack of basic facilities shocked Maria Kasselmann, a former primary teacher from Germany, who visited India. “I was a primary teacher in Holland and later became a photographer, travelling a lot and exploring different parts of the world. However, a hip issue in the mid-2000s put a brake on my travels and forced me to undergo surgery. By then, I was settled in Germany and could not walk well because of my health condition. I happened to find a yoga teacher there, who guided me with techniques to improve my health condition,” she tells The Better India.

Maria says her guide suggested visiting India for treatment. So in 2008, she flew down to the southern city of Kovalam in Kerala. While passing through the town, she came across an Anganwadi at Thrissur.

She stepped inside only to find a leaky roof, broken benches and withered paint on the walls. “The children had no access to clean drinking water or hygienic toilets. Also, there were no toys, stationery, or ceiling fans for ventilation or electricity. Their state worried me, and I decided to do something about it,” she says.

With three days remaining before she returned to Germany, Maria bought some stationery, uniforms, books, toys and other equipment for the children.

“But I returned home feeling that I wanted to contribute more to better the lives of these children. I shared the experience with my partner and expressed that I would like to raise funds and renovate the school for the children,” she says.

Maria then started a donation campaign in Germany, in 2008, seeking financial help from the residents. All the funds collected through her initiative helped the school transform into an ideal institute equipped with the facilities.

“The school was repaired, painted, received new benches, and the students acquired study material. Soon, I learned about three other schools in the area which also needed help. I found out that the children walked miles to attend the school and thought that renewing the building could be the least I could do,” she says.

She then raised more funds for the same. “A small initiative turned into a full-fledged campaign, and I set up Positive Power for Children eV, an NGO that works towards the cause of renovating dilapidated government schools,” she says.

So far, her initiative has helped transform 22 government schools. “On an average, about 40 students learn in each school. So at any given time, about 800 students benefit from the facilities. Over the years, many more have accessed the improved infrastructure from these schools,” she says.

Maria says she prefers assisting government schools that need help in a true sense. “They are not privileged like other private schools.”

Her efforts have got recognition from government machinery, who have taken cognisance and acted to improve the conditions of the schools. “Initially, it was difficult to coordinate with the government officials as it took time to build a rapport with them. Once they felt confident about my efforts, the officials supported me. Today, they disperse some funds to paint the schools or provide other equipment upon the request of teachers,” she says.

Sindhu, a teacher at the Adimalathura Anganwadi in Thiruvananthapuram, says, “I have been working in this school for the past five years, and its condition was poor. The government provided Rs 1,000 for renting a place for the school, but we could not find a place for less than Rs 2,500. So I paid the remaining Rs 1,500 from my salary to keep the school going.”

She knew about Maria’s initiative of renovating the school and says, “But then the NGO did not have funds, and we were looking for a space to construct a school. In 2021, a person donated 6 cents of land for construction and Maria stepped in. Thanks to her, she helped build a permanent structure which took a year. She also provided the children with benches, uniforms and study material when we moved in April 2022. The newer place is much more comfortable for students to access education. The strength of the students has increased from about 15 children to over 30 because of better school infrastructure.”

Maria claims to have constructed eight such schools through donations. “These schools have a playground, which is crucial as many educational institutes lack one,” she says, adding, “The main challenge is the shortage of funds. I have to prioritise where to spend the money. At times it becomes a difficult decision to make.”

Citing an example, she adds, “On one occasion, teachers from one of these government schools asked for stationery, uniforms or painting their school walls. But on the other hand, two schools had lost their roof due to the cyclone and needed urgent attention. Of course, the school without a roof gets the priority.”

Besides, she invests in training children in self-defence classes. “I provide training to the girls aged between 15-17 years through a coach during school hours at Thiruvananthapuram. And even though the initiative to develop confidence among children, especially girls, has paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shortage of funds, I aim to revive the same,” she says.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Gardening was an easy choice as a post-retirement hobby for Viswambharan N K, whose ancestors had been into large scale farming. Even before he retired as a scientist from the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL-DRDO), Thrikkakara, in 2015, this sexagenarian was collecting and growing many orchids at home.

For the 67-year-old, the pandemic arrived as a boon, as it gave him plenty of free time at hand. He earnestly immersed himself in vigorous gardening, mostly orchids and vegetables. Today, he grows over 1,500 plants on 15 cents of land, where he lives with his wife Jayamma.

“Since my family was into agriculture, I had this interest from childhood. It’s only now that I had time to completely get into it,” he tells The Better India. “The plants are spread across our surroundings and our terrace of our house. There is actually no space left here now. Four cents of the land around the house have been reserved for the garden.”

Orchid: ‘Dancing girls’ and ‘miracle fruits’

What attracted the gardener to orchids? Beauty and the plant being low-maintenance, he says. “There’s no need to use pesticides on orchids, because pest attacks rarely happen. Also, based on varieties, the flowers can last anywhere between five days and three months,” he explains.

Viswambharan’s orchid collection includes all major types like cattleya, dendrobium, cymbidium, and vanda. Out of these, there are over 50 varieties of ‘dancing girls’ (impatiens bequaertii) too. Most of them are planted in hanging pots. “Only organic manure like neem, cow dung or urine are used in the process. Moreover, orchids require comparatively less maintenance. We don’t even have to water them daily,” he adds.

In addition to flowers, Viswambharan also produces vegetables and fruits needed for daily use. “We are almost self-sufficient now. I also love experimenting with new variants. These include blue coloured chillies (filius blue pepper) and violet or red ladies’ fingers,” he says. He also grows bitter gourd, brinjal, snake gourd, spinach, papaya, rambuttan, banana and guava.

Another unique item in his garden is the ‘miracle fruit’ (synsepalum dulcificum). “If you have any sour item, even if it’s curd or tamarind, after eating this fruit, it will taste sweet. This effect lasts for about two hours,” he explains, his voice tinged with excitement. “The tree here is large and gives us fruits every year, which are popular among our family, friends and neighbours.”

Most of these plants are collected from various houses or gardens. “Exotic orchid varieties are pretty expensive, but this has turned into a craze, and nothing matches the joy I feel when I see the blooming flowers.”

Viswambharan has put together a compost in order to fertilise all his plant babies. “I have never used any chemicals during farming and I believe that’s the reason behind my sound health even at this age,” he says.

Viswambharan’s only advice to farming and gardening enthusiasts is to use organic manure. “If you are not in a position to prepare a compost at home, there are several options available in the market. It might be a little expensive, but not as much as your hospital bill will eventually be.”

Even as he grows thousands of plants, the gardener has never sold any. He lets people take seeds or saplings, but does not engage on a commercial basis. “These plants require utmost care and quality packing, as most sales happen online now. I am going to set foot into this space soon, because I understand there are many enthusiastic gardeners like me all over the world.”

Edited by Divya Sethu

At the age of 18, when I saw my baby niece for the first time I would curiously look at how she would smile with her eyes, cry her heart out when hungry and cackle when the first drop of water fell on her body while bathing. I would even take note of the products that went on her and that’s when I heard about ventha velichenna (virgin coconut oil), carefully prepared by my mother and rubbed on her whole body before a bath.

Unlike normal coconut oil, there is a long process to make even a small portion of ventha velichenna. Nevertheless, a mother and daughter from Malappuram, Kerala, decided to sell the mixture made with traditional methods under the brand Purvina in 2020. They claim to sell cent per cent natural products.

Jaya and Parvathy Avanoor co-founded Purvina for many reasons. Jaya and her husband had many businesses like pharmaceuticals and machine manufacturing. However, the COVID-19-induced lockdown halted most of their work which resulted in plenty of free time for Jaya. Parvathy, on the other hand, was working as a digital marketer but was looking for a break.

Both of them felt this was the right time to get into something interesting.

Why ventha velichenna?

The Avanoor family has a good amount of farmland, maintaining which has been a struggle due to high labour costs and lack of time. They grow turmeric, pepper, paddy and more. Jaya would distribute the spices among family and friends. Grown organically, they were of great quality and some of them even started asking Jaya if she could turn this into a business.

But the idea of virgin coconut oil didn’t appear until much later. “My late grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease and an Ayurveda doctor suggested giving him traditionally prepared ventha velichenna twice a day to reduce its intensity. It worked and since the disease is hereditary, me and my father too started consuming 15 ml of oil every day. While amma (mother) was all set to start a business with organically grown spices, we thought of adding ventha velichenna too to the list,” says 32-year-old MBA graduate Parvathy.

The duo employed staff from their other production units on a part-time basis and began the preparation. “The process is not easy at all. Only 10 litres of oil can be extracted from almost 250 coconuts,” shares Parvathy. “But we never compromised on the process. A huge traditional uruli is a must-have for the process. The major tasks include cutting coconut, shredding it, turning it into milk and boiling it.”

Purvina’s manufacturing unit is located in Anamangad, Malappuram, near their house. While Jaya carries out all duties related to production, Parvathy markets, white labels and carries out online sales. “Around 90 per cent of our workforce are women. But there are some tasks which they can’t perform. The hot oil in the heavy uruli is to be moved to another container for which we have installed a small machine. There are some men in the team to help in this and other similar laborious tasks,” explains 56-year-old Jaya.

The coconut needed for the oil is collected from their own farm and from the farmers of their locality. “Coconuts are collected from our farm and the rest are sourced from others. We make sure that all of them follow organic growing methods before the purchase,” she adds.

The oil, which is a best seller on Amazon, has a shelf-life of one year. “Absolutely love the products of Purvina. You will immediately notice its purity and authenticity. Definitely would recommend everyone to try them out once. You will never want to buy from another brand again,” wrote Rupambika Khandai on Amazon.

The brand sells about 250 litres of oil per month.

When opened, the oil lasts for three months and is priced at Rs 445 for 250 ml. “The product is 100 per cent edible and I’ve been giving this to my baby since the eighth day of her birth. It is an excellent non-greasy moisturiser, makeup remover, and wrinkle preventer and can even be used as a salad dressing. You can have it raw to avoid digestion issues and ulcers,” Parvathy claims.

Other than the hot processed oil, which also comes as baby oil and generic oil for all purposes, Purvina sells turmeric powder, tamarind paste, black peppercorns and banana porridge mix. “Next up is edible nipple crack oil, which is developed from my own experience as a mother of a one-year-old,” says Parvathy.

Regarding sales, the co-founder says that the products are not widely available in retail shops due to the lack of distributors. But they are present on all major e-commerce platforms and are also sold as products of companies like BabyCare and BabyButtons. “People may find the products overpriced but it’s not. This becomes expensive as it undergoes several processes. Our margins are low and we haven’t touched the break-even point yet. But the sales are growing, as are our hopes,” shares Parvathy.

Palakkad native, Priya Subramanian, says, “I have been using ventha velichenna right from my childhood. Now as we stay in Kochi, I take help from a maid to collect and prepare the oil traditionally while visiting home. However, two years ago when I couldn’t do this, we went to an Ayurveda store and the owner suggested Purvina. It amazed me that the same quality, taste, smell and colour of homemade ventha velichenna were spotted in this brand.”

She also added that price has never been looked at as a problem because this is part of a healthy routine. “In the case of homemade oil too, a similar or more amount must be spent as the process is long and tiring. I am sure that our family’s habit of having this oil will save thousands of rupees from being spent on hospital bills,” adds Priya, who even went ahead and got in touch with one of the founders to share how good the product was.

Most of Purvina’s customers are from Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana, West Bengal and other parts of the North East.

“Other than simply selling the product, educating people about the benefits of ventha velichenna is our dream. And of course, we want to build Purvina as a synonym of this magic oil,” says Parvathy.

If you are interested in starting a business like this, learn all about it from Parvathy herself. In this video, Parvathy shares her business secrets, the do’s and don’ts while starting a venture, and her biggest mantra for becoming a successful entrepreneur. Find more details here.

Interested in Purvina’s products? Buy them from their website or Amazon.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Praveen Nath from Palakkad, Kerala had to hide his identity as a transman for over 15 years. And even then, he was thrown out of his college and forced to leave his own house when he revealed his identity.

But Praveen tried his best to hold his head high and stayed true to himself.

After leaving his house, he found shelter at Sahayathrika, an organisation working for the welfare of transgenders in Kerala. Thus with their support, Praveen worked hard and eventually found his way to becoming a bodybuilding champion.

While he entered into bodybuilding, there was no separate category for trans people. But his trainer, Vinu Mohan, went out of his way to persuade associations of Mr Thrissur and Mr Kerala to introduce a third category for trans people. His efforts proved successful, and the category was finally introduced.

Thus in 2021, he became Kerala’s first transgender bodybuilder who went on to win the Mr Kerala title.

Watch the inspiring story of Praveen here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Better India (@thebetterindia)