The sun is still soft over the fields in rural Tamil Nadu. Two young women walk barefoot across the soil, their hands busy, their conversation easy. One bends down to check a row of spinach, the other follows, gently brushing soil aside to see if the roots are strong.

They don’t rush or hesitate, as this is not therapy or supervision. This is ownership

A few metres away, a group gathers near a small shed — some preparing feed for chickens, others sorting vegetables for the day’s meals. There is laughter, there is routine, and above all, there is a quiet, steady dignity.

This is the Sristi Foundation — not just a place of care, but a community built on the belief that everyone deserves to live with purpose.

At the heart of it is a simple, powerful idea, as founder Karthikeyan Ganesan puts it:

“I strongly believe everyone is born with a purpose. Our role is to help them find it, not take it away.”

A journey that began with a question

Karthikeyan, a psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, didn’t begin his journey by founding an organisation — it began with deep immersion.

At 17, he started volunteering at an orphanage in Pondicherry. What was meant to be a short experience turned into 12 years of living and working within that system. Over time, he took on more responsibility, eventually helping manage the space and the lives within it.

On the surface, the orphanage did everything it was meant to do: food, shelter, and medical care.

But as the children grew older, something began to shift.

Many developed behavioural challenges — aggression, restlessness, and emotional distress. The response was clinical: psychiatric consultations and heavy medication.

“They were in a sedative state, eating, taking medicine, and sleeping. That was their life. “Just imagine yourself in that position,” he says. “Not for a day, but for a lifetime.”

It was deeply unsettling.

That question stayed with him, and eventually, it pushed him to leave in 2010, with a determination to find the answers.

Learning from the world outside

For the next three years, Karthikeyan........

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