Some careers are never planned, they just happen at the right time ! And everything else falls into place !
Harshita Srivastava, our next pathbreaker, Founder – Kintsugi Regenerating Ecosystems, works towards repairing and regenerating local ecosystems through design principles that focus on nature !
Harshita talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about beginning her career in fashion design, but realizing her calling at Auroville where she was introduced to the concept of Permaculture !
For students, time never waits for anyone. Never hesitate to transition to a new career, because growth comes from taking risks and exploring the unexplored !
Harshita, Your background?
I am today seen as a permaculture designer and menstrual hygiene facilitator. My academic background was in fashion design and evolved into textile design when I realized that weaving is a passion I carry within. Being a designer is important to me as design is about creation and problem solving. However, a few years into my fashion and textile design career, I realized I was solving a problem no bigger than what people are going to wear for the next event / gathering / wedding, and that made me question my existence. As a result, I left the design industry and moved to an experimental township called Auroville in South India.
I am a nomad who travels where my projects take me; and when I am free you can find me feeling cozy and homely in Auroville.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I did a BSc in Fashion Design for my graduation
What made you choose such an offbeat, unconventional and cool career?
It was in Auroville that I was introduced to reforestation and permaculture, and life changed after that. I learnt about consciously designing every moment of my life in a sustainable manner, and started sharing my learnings and skills with people I met on my path.
I had this amazing opportunity to assist Kai Lindenblatt, founder of Makers of Permaculture, an organisation which works towards designing and implementing small and large scaled permaculture projects when he was in India and Kenya. We worked on food security, efficient composting systems, water harvesting systems etc.
What I ended up doing was not a career I had planned; I had plans to be a fashion designer and I worked hard towards it. Everything else happened very organically with me. I was tired of the exploitative nature of the fashion fraternity and wanted to not contribute to it anymore. I was curious to learn about reforestation as my grandfather truly had a magical connection with mother earth; unfortunately I felt the calling to understand it all long after his passing. I had arrived in Auroville to take a break and learn about plants. My initial plan was to go back and start working in fashion after 6 months. One month in Auroville, and I realised that I was ready to leave it all; it became very evident to me that I could not go back to my old ways of living.
Upon arriving in Auroville I started volunteering at Sadhana Forest, a vegan community reforestation project which opened my world of understanding and perspective. We worked with reforestation and community chores there. I spent some 4 months there. after which I moved out of Sadhana Forest and started working in Auroville Botanical Gardens.
There I was assisting in the making of a Japanese Garden. From digging out the ponds, to planting and pruning trees, everyday was a new opportunity. After working for several months, I moved to Kenya to work on a food security project with Kai. On my return I started working in another reforestation project called Pebble Garden in Auroville. So these places in Auroville were very crucial to my growth. They taught me skills which I was unaware of, they taught me patience and grace.
After my experience with Makers and getting a PDC (PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE ), I eventually founded Kintsugi – Regenerating Ecosystems.
Kintsugi – Regenerating Ecosystems, is not only a project, but a collective conscious vision, which lives in many people, a vision to heal humanity by fixing the damage caused by us to this planet. Love is our core, and we are optimistic that many of us will definitely bring positive change in the world. At Kintsugi, we work towards repairing and regenerating local ecosystems. We provide consultation, design and implementation of small and big scale permaculture projects and workshops in any part of the world.
The turning point for me was the realization of the exploitative industry which fashion is and how “sustainability” in fashion is greenwashing. The urge to connect back to earth made me move from fashion to permaculture.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
After my graduation in fashion design, I started working at Akaaro as Assistant Designer. It was quite a known brand in fashion circuit but had a small team to work with. By default, I was not only assisting my boss and founder Gaurav, but also managing the entire brand. That is the truth about any small business, you end up doing everything. From making merch sheets to keeping up with the production to keeping up with the invoices, speaking to celebrity stylists, sending out clothes to them, being constantly in touch with all the clients, planning and executing exhibitions and sales, designing the textiles with the weaver and much more. But I truly enjoyed that. I enjoyed learning new skills everyday. I never thought I had good communication skills but my boss made me realise that I did. We were a good team together and did a lot work together.
Once I decided to leave fashion for good, my boss was a bit worried about me. We continued being on good terms and we still sometimes when I am in Delhi and have time, hang out. It is so important to value the good in each relationship and take it forward.
Sadhana Forest is a volunteer based organization that works in India, Haiti and Kenya to create sustainable forest communities. They work on restoring barren lands into forests. I was volunteering there; everyone volunteers there. I met Kai there, and yes, through him I found out about permaculture. So you can say that Sadhana Forest was my first introduction to Permaculture.
Permaculture is an approach to land management and settlement design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using whole-systems thinking.
Again, we worked with growing organic food, planting forests, teaching people organic farming, using vertical spaces for gardening, designing and implementing rainwater harvesting systems, cleaning grey and black water (water from kitchen, shower and toilet) etc.
It was all very organic. I never planned where I am today. I went with the flow and it turned out really good. Sometimes you can plan for eternity but it would still not happen. I like to take things as they happen. Of course I never compromise on my ethics and principles and have not run after people to get work. All my clients are either through word of mouth, sometimes through Linkedin or the old ones if they want to do more projects.
My only approach is that learning should never stop and I should put my 100% in everything I do. That’s all you can do; everything else is not in your hands.
All the projects I have done so far are deeply cherished by me. All my clients have been rather open and willing to learn and we have had really beautiful outcomes.
How did you get your first break?
My very first break was a job in Fashion as an assistant designer. I did that for two years and then moved to Auroville to live a sustainable life.
Speaking of my first break in permaculture, it happened a few years after I moved to Auroville. I told the community I was living in that I would like to design a garden in the free space. The management was more than happy and allowed me to do so.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
I say this with a lot of happiness that I have never found what I do challenging; it has been extremely rewarding. I get to be with plants, creatures, play in soil, and grow forests. Honestly what could be challenging, maybe the mosquito bites. The only thing which is time consuming and exhausting is to get government approvals when working with them, but since I work in partnership with WRI, they get the permissions. I just have to play along till we get the approvals.
Where do you work now?
I work as the founder and Permaculture Designer & Consultant of Kintsugi- Regenerating Ecosystems.
What problems do you solve?
https://www.kintsugiregeneratingecosystems.org/ permaculture
https://www.kintsugiregeneratingecosystems.org/ samburu-project
We work on regenerating ecosystems; so we are fighting the climate crisis in our way with permaculture in different parts of the world.
What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?
The skills required are organizing and strategising, knowing permaculture, on ground knowledge and physical strength to do some hard work.
What’s a typical day like?
Going to a site and analyzing, designing, digging, making soil better, planting, training the community and being really happy and content. There are very few days which are stressful.
What is it that you love about this job?
This is not my job, this is my life. I plant, therefore I am 🙂
How does your work benefit society?
It brings people closer to mother earth and makes them more compassionate. It also helps with creating a healthy forest and human ecosystem.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
The project I did in Kenya remains the closest to my heart. We had set up a permaculture demonstration site in an area which struggles with food and water security. The project was a success and the villagers harvested their food with their own hands and happy faces.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Don’t be afraid of taking risks. In discomfort lies great growth, you have it in you. Also never settle down for less than what you deserve, your time, efforts and dedication are very important. Do something which helps solve a problem in the world, do something which is of help to the common man with not a lot of wealth; serve to unhealthy rather than wealthy. And always carry compassion.
Future Plans?
Future plan is to buy some deforested damaged land and bring it back to life and spend my life doing that.