Two members of Sirsti Village at the field, Sirsti village land in Tamil Nadu, 30 km west of Pondicherry .
The first visit to Sirsti Village was not only a big opportunity to discuss the communication needs of the foundation and the needs that we can help with. It was important to link the concept of the project as a village that aims to create a society to intellectual disable people in India especially in the area of Pondicherry, where people with intellectual disability become producers, and sustainability as a self-sustainable, inclusive and
eco-friendly village.
At Sirsti Village, we were able to examine closely the friendly environment of work where children and adults with intellectual disability can learn the scientific basis of the organic agriculture, work together, plan for the future of the foundation, produce and have fun with their colleagues who were marginalized for social reasons without disability.
We decided to produce a short video to present Sirsti Village especially after the purchase of 9 acres of land that since May 2014 became the center of the village gradually by building a basic eco-friendly hut. Our initial scenario concentrated on the essential information narrated by Karthikeyan the director and the founder of the foundation.
We were lucky to meet everyone in the foundation, the children of Sirsti village school, the members of the village at the land and the volunteers. We were able to talk and discuss the stories of everyone. Sirsti Village was a treasure of stories, a land where everyone has a difficulty and challenge that he/she overcame already by joining the foundation.
The video must include a story, not because we have amazing stories that could present the foundation properly. But due to the nessecity of sharing story from India, a story that does not happen everyday.
We spent three days of filming and sharing details of everyday life with the members of the village. Three days were enough to explain the concept of the village, the progress and the future, but were not sufficient to document every member’s experience in the village.
At the end we came up with a short video that shares the story of Sindhl, a member of Sirsti village who lost his ability of speaking after being prisoned for three years in an elderly house and lives now at Sirsti village as a productive member. We were not able to share everyone’s story, but we tried to include everyone’s smile and effort in the video. And the stories of Sirsti Village members will stay with us until our new colleagues who will come next year and get the chance to explore and share it with the world!
L.A
AUP Sustainable Development Practicum in Auroville, India 