Malvikaa Solanki

Background

About Malvikaa Solanki

swaYYam’, in Sanskrit language, suggests, the ‘unified self’, which is all encompassing. It embodies the spirit of sustainability & self-sufficiency in thought & action. swaYYam is a family of ideas which are conceived from the domain of self-sufficiency and sustainability. And, neither of this can be achieved unless we begin to transition to a low-impact-living. swaYYam aims at creating an environment of the ‘unified self’ as the name suggests, in every sphere of its existence; thought and action; emphasizing on the relationship of man to earth – shelter, energy, food, clothing, transportation, water, waste AND with the ‘self’. swaYYam proposes to create ‘whole’ integrated human settlements, with local needs met largely by local production by local communities, such that as many inputs as possible are provided from within the system, and as many as outputs as possible are used within it. This approach is the founding ideal to swaYYam’s philosophy with everything else being an input towards this end, promoting sustainability through practical low-impact-living and conscientious lifestyle choices. With swaYYam we take our small first step, to create a self-feeding, sustainable living community, which draws from ancient tradition and natural methods devoid of stripping the earth of its natural resources, where, people take care of themselves, feed themselves, build their own houses and create energy for their needs, more as a norm rather than an exception. It’s not a peripheral activity, an alternative; it is mainstream; it is the way forward. The project aims to maintain the integrity of the local ecology – social and environmental and integrate sustainability in every decision and design and build capacities and self-reliance within. It is an attempt, but, the attempt must be made, and here we are TOGETHER!