Ela’s Artisan Revolution: Balancing Family and Finances in Rural Kerala
Ela’s Artisan Revolution: Balancing Family and Finances in Rural Kerala Thenga’s sustainable coconut shell products are revolutionising local communities in rural Kerala  In the lush plains of Palakkad in Kerala, fringed by mountains, coconut farms flourish. The tall palms shoot up to the sky bearing large coconuts that fuel the local economy here. The coconut is a symbol of Kerala – which roughly translates to land of coconuts. It is considered a kalpavriksha with uses for all its parts. Palakkad thrives on coconut and its related industries – oil, coir etc. However, one part of the coconut tree goes by largely underutilised.It is not uncommon to see piles of coconut shells slowly decomposing in landfills near coconut oil units. These units mainly use the shells to light rudimentary fires and dump the rest in landfills. Seeing the fate of this versatile and sturdy natural material, Maria Kuriakose founded Thenga fueling an artisan revolution in the state.
