Hiranya, the Newborn Sarang
Anu gave birth to a baby girl in April 2010.[.....]
C Sharatchandran
C Sharatchandran, documentary film maker died in a tragic accident[.....]
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Our family is a small growing alternative school called Sarang. At present we have 10 children living & learning with us, from age 8 to 20 years. We follow sustainable living practices. Sarang is on the way to becoming a rural university.
As we all know, the basic resources of life come from the rural areas. Sustainability of the rural areas is the sustainability of the planet. Most of the development funds are focused at rural areas, but unfortunately, things don’t change much. We feel that the solutions must come from within.
That is why our search for land ended on a hilltop which was barren and devoid of a water source. With long years of untiring work, we have turned that barren land into a fertile land. Now there is plenty of water and forest. We learnt that it only takes work of dedicated hands and simple, affordable techniques to bring about this transformation.
We realized long ago that sustainability rests in transferring sustainable solutions to the next generation. Hence, the dream of a rural university. We do not provide any certificates or conduct any exams, but rather help children and adults to learn to live and let live.
From 1983, many people from around the world had been coming and staying with us to learn natural farming, simple environmental solutions and educational practices. Visitors and volunteers have helped us get a better understanding of different sustainable practices around the world.
A word about the stay at Sarang
Accommodation will be in a small basic cottage or in the main house with the family. Toilets will be clean pit latrines which do not use water. Water from a freshwater spring is pumped and stored in tanks. There is no running water or showers in the bathroom. Hot water can be easily provided from the kitchen. Food will be tasty vegetarian Kerala style food. Banana & Indian Gooseberry will be plentiful. Fresh milk from our cows will add zest to the menu. Sarang is powered with solar energy (basic lighting, charging etc). Sarang is connected with telephone and some mobile networks are available with optional GPRS. Internet facility will have to be availed from the nearest town about 7 kms away. Since we are not externally funded we charge a nominal fee of INR 150/day/head for food and INR 200/day for accommodation.
Essentials for happy living at Sarang
- Ability to communicate in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi or English.
- A broad mind to understand and respect our customs, manners and practices.
- Avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs while you are with us. We have a very strict policy regarding this.
- Loose fitting cotton clothes which cover your body adequately are appropriate for our climate and culture.
- Since we use a minimum of furniture, enjoy sitting cross-legged on the floor and sleeping on mattresses or sleeping bags.
We whole heartedly welcome:
Volunteers with hands-on experience in construction and a mind to put in hard work are welcome to help us with our new project.
As we step into the year 2010, we are planning and working towards developing infrastructure at Sarang that would befit a rural university. All structures are intended to be constructed using ourselves as labour and locally available raw material like bamboo, timber, and mud blocks. Roofing tiles might have to be transported from a nearby city. Work begins in January 2010.
Help in developing an organic solution to avoid destruction of the structures by termites.
One big problem we face with these building materials is that of termites and another is that of humidity. Since termites are essential to a natural farm, we do not want to use into techniques like colony destruction.
Volunteers with knowledge in classification of biodiversity to help us in documenting the rich biodiversity that the land exhibits. Help is also needed in establishing a butterfly garden so that the children can watch the wonders of nature first-hand.
In 1983, a severe drought hit whole of Kerala. Kerala, serene in its plentiful water sources, was shaken to its very roots. Scientists came to the conclusion that the drought was caused due to destruction of pristine forests in watershed areas. The solution that was put forward was that not even an inch more of forest should be denuded. Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalekshmi went a step ahead; in their young minds it seemed plausible that if deforestation of watershed areas could cause a drought then the opposite, afforestation could reverse it. They chose a barren micro-watershed with a dried-up water source to try out their experiments in biodiversity conservation. After many interventions it was found best to leave the work to nature while protecting the land from grazing, forest fires, logging etc. In 1983, all the land had was a peepal tree, 4-5 rosewood saplings, gravelly soil and a dried-up water hole. Through a gradual process of healing, the spring was recharged and from 1992 onwards it has been a perennial source of water. The land left to its self without human interventions has transformed itself into a veritable forest. Many plants, birds, butterflies, animals hitherto unknown to the land enlivened the campus.
Volunteers willing to put in dedicated work, physical and creative, in land protection measures.
Protection of the land is a continuing process. In the summer months (March-) the fire boundaries have to be cleared and fencing with Agave plants has to be done. Awareness raising campaigns among the public have to be conducted.
Volunteers with technical know-how of home-built wind generators which can be constructed and maintained in a rural village.
Clean energy is a major factor in sustainability. Sarang was established at the hilltop with abundant wind energy keeping this in mind. Sarang has no electrical connection as yet because we dream of harnessing the power of this wind.
Volunteers, interested in learning natural farming techniques and sharing their experiences.
The farming season in our area is from October to January. During this time we use natural farming techniques to cultivate various millets, pulses, vegetables. Throughout the year herbs, fruit trees like lemon, gooseberry, banana etc have to tended and harvested. A small diary with 4-5 cows and calves also has to be maintained. Along with the year-round activities at the farm you can also learn traditional vegetarian cooking and medicinal practices.
Volunteers who believe that they have knowledge, skills or ideas which would benefit our children in their growth as responsible human beings.
Knowledge is always an asset. Languages, medicine, environment, geography, politics, photography, computers, art forms; to name a few is not fair, no branch of knowledge is unnecessary.
Volunteers who can network and undertake fundraising initiatives.
Dedication is the crux of our growth. Sarang has always been wary of external funding since money always comes with strings attached. But many friends and wellwishers have helped us in small and big ways unconditionally.