Volunteers from Vayali and Pravah at the "traveller's forest"
While we planted for our friends around the world, we had few things to look at. We planted trees for /to
** our team at Vayali who won the Change Loom Awards last week,
** to celebrate the naming ceremony of one of our colleague's son,
** to make up for a bird that one of us killed when he was 7 years old ( yeah, now don't think this is like a carbon-offset program! ;)),
** a plant for our friends and families,
** for an uncle who died,
** for a friend who lost her son in an accident,
** for a colleague who completed an amazing book on rivers in Kerala,
** for our teachers and more than anything

** for a river that we destroyed,
** for a river that we have pledged to bring back life into it.
** for a river that brought many of us together to understand the meaning of life!

Why don't we all start planting trees to celebrate? Why gift useless presents for your friend's wedding, when giving a plant could bring cheer for many generations to come?

In less than 100 metres away from the 'escavated burial ground, laterite stone cutting is going on un-disturbed. It was in a similar site that workers came across "caves" and gets reported to the Archaeological Survey of India. If this finding was in some other countries, I can't imagine this happening. Reckless Government, reckless people?

'A burnt down river-bed!' in Palakkad district (pic Sandra Wels)

The same river that was once a lifeline of Malabar region in Kerala is now struggling because of human greed and intervention. We dammed it, we cut all trees possible in the catchment areas, we stopped farming by the side of the river, squeezed out every single drop of water available and finally started taking away even the fine sands on the banks of the river to build our houses.

The river gave all it can, we demanded more. The river laid it all bare, we opened up her chest. In the place of fine sand and shallow water that formed the river bed, all we see is wild grass that stands taller than us. There was a time when we couldn't see what was on the other side of the river because of the water that was touching on both the banks. Now we can't see what is on the other side of the river because of the tall grass that is growing so wild.

The river that made many of us romantic and passionate human beings, was disregarded. We stopped listening to her cries, we went on with our lives as if she was no longer part of it. There was a time when we used to see workers from mountains coming into our villages on bamboo barges that were cut in the high mountains of the western ghats. We use to playfully climb on them and go with from Thrithala to Kuttipuram and then to Tirunavaya and Chamravattom. The brave ones climbed on to the slippery barge, the rest swam along for some distances. But all those memories are bygone. Our kids don't believe any more when we tell them that there was a beautiful river there. Once! Not too long into the past, but just a decade ago!

In modern times however, people like Gopalan is struggling to sustain his only known skills (even with more and more work orders coming in), because the younger generation don't even want to take up this as a profession. No one wants to 'dirty' their hands any more. But this doesn't stop the man from exploring new dimensions into his work. When the community that we work with along the Nila decided to appreciate the impact of Responsible Tourism in their day to day lives, they approached Narayanan to create the memento that depicts the universal eco-living!

About Rob Pepper & Aimie Littler

Rob Pepper & Aimie Littler work out of their art studio in Islington, London. They’ve been working together for thirteen years on many artistic projects from international exhibitions, public art commissions, human rights campaigns to workshops with disadvantaged teenagers.

Rob Pepper is the artist maker and is a member of the Academic Board and a Senior Tutor at London's Art Academy. He creates large scale paintings, intimate drawings and his work has adorned album & book covers. Aimie Littler is the director of the Not For Profit Organisation "The Truth Isn’t Sexy" which works on the prevention of human trafficking. When not running this she conceptually develops the artwork, edits their publications and curates the many international exhibitions they have had over the years.

Together Rob & Aimie co-facilitate the Drawing Room which has a growing following in London. These art workshops focus upon an enjoyment of the artistic process and the nurturing of a happy group. They believe the creative impulse needs to be acknowledged as an important part of ones well being and it is this philosophy that they will be bringing to the new relationship with The Blue Yonder.

© The Blue Yonder 2008