Everyday, an array of fresh flowers make their way from markets to houses, religious establishments, hotels and florists, to be used as decoration, garlands, offerings and pretty bouquets. Most of the flowers are simply tossed out once their limited purpose is served.
Now, a team from Delhi is on a mission to give new life to these flowers and offer a chance of gainful employment to the intellectually disabled.
Madhumita Puri, a clinical psychologist, who has worked at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi, started the Trash-to-Cash project under her NGO, the Society for Child Development. The NGO works with the intellectually disabled and developed the project as a means to provide employment to them. After converting many ‘waste’ products into things of value, they have turned their attention to the tonnes of flowers which are thrown out.
The petals are separated according to colour and shredded. They are then dried up, powdered and used as Rangoli powder and Holi colours, which have been marketed under the brand ‘Avacayam’.
The stalks, sepals and other parts are used to make incense sticks (agarbattis), free of charcoal powder and sawdust. Around 70 per cent of those involved in the project are intellectually disabled. The project is also supported by the Department of Environment, Delhi government in collection of waste flowers.
In Puducherry, the project is coordinated by the Satya Special School, from where 12 students are participating. Around 21 women from cooperatives have also joined in and the Puducherry unit of the National AIDS Control Organisation also plans to get involved through the Department of Environment, Science and Technology. Each product will have information about the place and people behind the manufacturing.
The project had been kick-started in Delhi, Ajmer, Varanasi, Hoshangabad, Chennai, Kozhikode and Kochi, where the team has tied up with local NGOs. In the initial stages of cooperation, the local NGO sends the dried and cut-up flower pieces to Delhi. Ms. Puri’s team buys this from them for the first year, packages the products and does the marketing.
The know-how will be transferred to the local NGOs over the course of time so they are fully independent, says Ms. Puri. Each unit will be linked to the distribution system set up by the Trash-to-Cash team.
The process is therapeutic, says Chennai-based Sumithra Prasad of NGO DORAI. “It is aroma and sensory therapy and helps improve the motor movements. It calms those with severe disabilities.” Ms. Puri says, “Everyone’s skills are used in the process, even those who cannot use a pair of scissors.” In Puducherry, Chitra Shah, director, Satya Special School, and her team have begun approaching temples and institutions for their used flowers. They have readied the agarbattis to be sent to Delhi where it will be perfumed and packaged.
Anyone interested in giving away flowers can check out the Trash-to-Cash website to locate a contact person.
