Sristi Foundation

Sristi Foundation was founded in 2013 by Mr. Karthikeyan Ganesan, a psychologist who spent 15+ years working with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Karthik grew up in an orphanage that treated all children, disabled or not, equally. However, his disabled siblings faced discrimination in mainstream life. Therefore, after his studies, he returned to the orphanage to help make a difference. While working at the orphanage he learnt that there are 1.6 million persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India (Census 2011) with about 75% in rural areas. With a low employment rate (1.5%) and higher living expenses they are one of the most impoverished groups in India. Whilst trying to help, the Indian system favours an institutional model - segregating and separating them from society, trapping them in a monotonous, sad and often abusive cycle. It became Karthik's mission to change this, and so, Sristi Foundation was born.