Maria Kuriakose, founder of sustainable lifestyle startup Thenga speaks to SocialStory about how she is trying to promote sustainable living while providing livelihoods to artisans.

Maria Kuriakose always wanted to be an entrepreneur. When the lockdown was announced last year, she decided to return to her native Kerala from Mumbai and focus on her dream of starting a ‘business with a cause’.

“I always wanted to live a  more eco-friendly lifestyle,” says Maria, Founder of Thenga, a sustainable lifestyle product that upcycles waste coconut shells. 

The word ‘thenga’ means coconut in Malayalam and is unique because every part of the coconut tree can be used for something whether it is food, shelter, fuel or storage. 

“I zeroed in on using the coconut shell because I saw that despite having usage potential, a lot was often burnt or discarded in landfills,” says Maria, speaking to SocialStory.

The coconut shell is a sustainable, practical and durable alternative for plastic especially for making kitchenware. It can also be easily decomposed. Unlike steel and plastic kitchenware, it can be conveniently broken into smaller parts and mixed with soil,” she says 

Reviving a dying tradition 

Maria reached out to a coconut shell artisan from Thrissur who was already working with shells to make decorative items like flowers. She shared her vision with him and had a few meetings in his workshop where he understood her idea and also gave a few inputs on how to execute it. 

“I realised that these artisans did not have enough full-time work and were doing odd jobs like working on construction sites to sustain themselves,” says Maria.

She started working with these artisans who now, devote 60 percent of their time to creating coconut shell products. As the brand has expanded, even fulfilling international orders, the team now employs 12 artisans from five districts in Kerala. “As we grow, we are  trying to discover more artisans who can join the group,” says Maria