Tell us a bit about the brand’s founder.

Ms. Poongkothai Chandrahasan FOUNDER/ MANAGING DIRECTOR SERENDIP BOUTIQUE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES PVT LTD.

Ms. Poonkothai Chandrahasan comes from an illustrious political family from Sri Lanka. She studied in Chennai for her schooling and college. After completing her Masters degree in communication, she spent time on the Harvard University campus to do a diploma in film making from NYFA. She has also directed many documentaries on refugees and human rights. She has been working for the upliftment of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and vulnerable Indian women and children since 2003 with NGO offer www.oferr.org and is currently a DIRECTOR & Management Committee member. She is very passionate about social work and giving back to the society. Poongkothai was also an actress in the Kollywood industry and has been in the fashion industry from a very young age. She started Serendip in 2016 to help rural women and underprivileged children of Chidambaram village in Tamil Nadu. A dog lover, she has two rescued INDI dogs, Bambi and Ronaldo who are the apples of her eye!

Why did you become a maker? Why is making so important?

The Inception of Serendip boutique Social enterprises Pvt ltd was inspired by the need to help Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and vulnerable Indian women & children in rural villages. The ethos of Serendip Boutique is ‘Indulge in sustainably handcrafted luxury products while empowering and educating.’

When asked about Serendip’s origin and inspiration, the founder Ms. Poongkothai said, “One of the programs I had pioneered at our NGO OfERR, was a TOMS Giving Partnership (https://www.toms.com/impact) Through the many years of partnership with TOMS we have distributed almost ONE MILLION pairs of school shoes to children in government schools in India, to children who have never owned a pair of shoes in their lives. In this journey of partnership with TOMS, I realized that a for-profit company can make a huge contribution to the less fortunate. That’s when I started learning more about the concept and impact of Social enterprise. I’ve been working to help marginalized communities for more than 17 years, and I’ve regrettably come to see that aid is drying up. Setting up a for-profit social enterprise, where we train our women to make exquisite sustain-ably crafted products and utilizing those profits to empower and educate the vulnerable women & children, seemed the best way forward because today its all about sustainability ”

Genesis of the brand
Serendip embarked on its journey of empowerment as a social enterprise with the aim of improving the lives of vulnerable women & Children. The core idea was to generate livelihood opportunities for the Sri Lankan refugee communities living in rural India. We trained women from the Sri Lankan refugee women and vulnerable Indian rural village women in Tamil Nadu to make ethical and exquisite jewelry. Furthermore, it is sustainable crafted, which adds to its charm! The proceeds of sales go towards our ‘Be the change’ initiative.

Serendip boutique is a social enterprise which aims to provide fair wages and sell their products at a fair price. Serendip believes in fusing its exquisite jewellery with ethical fashion, social causes and traditional culture. Each piece is sustainable crafted by women from marginalized communities, while being designed & packaged by our Serendip team. The proceeds from sales go towards our ‘Be the Change’ initiative which funds education centres in 25 villages, empowering 1500 children in rural Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, it also funds livelihood training programs, as well as income generation schemes. Our goal is to empower and ultimately transform the lives of women and children in these vulnerable communities, and to be the change we want to see. Every time you make a purchase from us, you transform a life, you become a part of ‘Be the Change’ initiative.

SERENDIP’S ‘BE THE CHANGE’ INITIATIVE

“Be the change you wish to see in the world”- Mahatma Gandhi

EMPOWERING through through EDUCATION

Every piece of jewellery is intricately designed and proudly handcrafted with love by the Serendip Boutique Team. Proceeds from the sale of this product goes towards funding education centres in 25 village Empowering 1500 children in rural Chidambaram, T.N. The village tuition center teachers are graduates who are from the same village. They devote their evenings to teaching children and they earn from it. This helps them with funding their postgraduate degree. Apart from the tuition center, we conducted training and set up a children’s parliament (we conduct a proper election in schools and set up children parliament in schools that’s similar to our Indian parliament) in every village, an effort by us to make students to socially conscious and to become leaders, representing their village needs to relevant government authorities and organizing cleaning drives, health awareness exhibitions. Apart from this 10,000 free school shoes and 25,000 free school notebooks were distributed.
 

POVERTY ALLEVIATION through LIVELIHOOD TRAINING & INCOME GENERATION

Vulnerable women are trained in income generating activities. This includes tailoring, handicraft making and jewelry making. As we sell more our dream is to employ more and more rural & refugee women giving them livelihood and thereby impacting their families and alleviating them from poverty. We strive to maintain a relationship of togetherness and mutual support in the history of war and destruction. Some real-life examples: Sumathi and Nagalakshmi both came to India as refugees in 1990, fleeing the devastating Sri Lankan civil war. They have since lived in the Sri Lankan Refugee camp in Tamil Nadu , and have had to overcome many struggles in their life. Today they are empowered women trainers, who are working full time at the Serendip Boutique Social Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. They create prototypes of the products serendip sells and also train other groups of marginalized women who work with Serendip Boutique. Their training is very valuable to us and it also gives employment to numerous women in the rural villages.

To know more about OfERR’s Education programmes or to donate to OfERR’s click here

TRANSFORMING LIVES

By purchasing this product you are taking us one step closer to transforming the lives of underprivileged women and children! The women no longer have to depend on their husband for their livelihood. They get a new sense of freedom and empowerment through this. They are then able to nourish and feed their children and protect themselves. This education for their children enables the children to find good jobs in the future and this will further push them out of the poverty sphere.

What is the story behind your brand name?

Our Brand name SERENDIP is the ancient name for our beautiful emerald Island of Sri Lanka. Serendib, also spelled Serendip, Arabic Sarandīb, name for the island of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The name, Arabic in origin, was recorded in use at least as early as AD 361 and for a time gained considerable currency in the West. It is best known to speakers of English through the word serendipity, invented in the 18th century by the English man of letters Horace Walpole on the inspiration of a Persian fairy tale, “The Three Princes of Serendip,” whose heroes often made discoveries by chance.

The name Serendip is a corruption of the Sanskrit compound Siṃhaladvīpa (“Dwelling-Place-of-Lions Island”). The Arabs are thought to have borrowed the name from Indians with whom they traded.

How has your business evolved over the years?

Serendip boutique has certain core principles it believes it and follows diligently. Poverty alleviation is of utmost impotence and this is achieved through livelihood training and income generation. The products at Serendip are made under fair wages. You, as a consumer, buy the products at a fair price which further helps us generate employment for the women in marginalized communities. The proceeds received go back to the community in the form of funding for entrepreneurial trainings to women groups as well as funding our after school tuition centers in rural South India. Not only does this help the vulnerable community, it also creates a path of giving back to host communities, which the Sri Lankan Refugees are doing through Serendip. Another important principle is that we believe in sustainable development. The boutique is strictly organic and is always environmentally friendly. These principles guide Serendip into being what they strive to be- a source of empowerment and education.
 

We believe that when you empower women, she can endure anything and become self- sustained without having to rely on anyone. When a man earns, many a time the earnings are spent on drink, whereas a woman also educates and nourishes her children.

We try to use recycled material and use sustainable materials as much as possible. We strongly believe in environmental protection and we try to impart the same philosophy to our employees while making the jewelry.

Your work space & the artisans you work with.

Ms. Gandhimathi Head of productions at Serendip, is a Sri Lankan Tamil who came to India in 1990 as a refugee due to the devastating civil war. She was only 19 years old when she was forced to leave her country. She lived in Thenpallipattu Refugee camp which is in Tirruvanamalai for the longest time. then she relocated to Chennai in 2006 and joined OfERR. Currently, she is the head of productions for Serendip Boutique & Serendip Be the Change, designing and handcrafting the collections. Adding to this she also trains other Refugee women and vulnerable Rural Indian women to become Serendip producers.
 
“I have faced a lot of difficulty in my life since I was young. I had to ee from the violence in Sri Lanka and start a new life here. Adjusting to life in a refugee camp, as a refugee was a struggle, and I underwent a lot of suffering. through Serendip I learned to make jewels, to do accounts, dealing with retailers and giving training for rural women in Chidambaram etc. It gave me nancial stability and it helps in me to pay the school fees for my son. Serendip completely changed my life!” – Gandhimathi

Nagalakshmi Head Trainer at Serendip, came to India as refugees in 1990, fleeing the devastating Sri Lankan civil war. She comes from the Kilinochchi area and has since lived in the Sri Lankan Refugee camp in Tamil Nadu. She was only 18 years old when she came and has had to overcome many struggles in her life.

During the 2004 Tsunami she helped the affected women gain income by giving them tailoring and handicraft training for more than 1,000 people. She makes bags and jewels for Serendip Boutique. Her training is very valuable to us and it also gives employment to numerous women in the rural villages.

Your favorite work tool.

Our answer is a little different. We interpret the word tool in a slightly different way. For all of us at Serendip Boutique our favorite tools are EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT.

What is currently on your work table?

A whole lot of semi precious beads, a lot of planning spreadsheets and the dream to impact more women and children by opening a free training Center in rural villages in Chidambaram.

What is your personal favorite pick from your brand right now? And why?
Stabaka from the Sanyaasi the Yogi collection- Part of the SERENDIP ‘BTC’ Be The Change unisex collection, this piece is earthy and karmic.

What are your displaying at the By Hand, From The Heart.
Products proposed to be displayed: Please see the product described in detail below

VASTHA THE CLOTH Necklaces: UPCYCLED & ELECTIC, this collection of cloth necklaces are ethically & sustain-ably crafted with eco-friendly materials (cotton cloth covered wooden beads & brass) up cycled into vibrant neckpieces.

BTC: Be The Change unisex collection:

SHABDKOSH THE TRIBE collection: BOHO & PSYCHEDELIC, this Unisex collection is , ethically & sustainably crafted with eco-friendly upcycled bone& semi- precious Lava, the 4 neckpieces in this collection are artistic expressions of Agni the fire, Bhumi the earth, Chandramukha the mask, Kudja the tree.

KSHATRIYA THE WARRIOR collection: This Unisex collection is Alpha & Bold, ethically & sustainably crafted with eco-friendly wood & metal beads.

SANYAASI THE YOGA collection: KARMIC & EARTHY, This Unisex BTC collection is ethically & sustainably crafted with eco-friendly wooden beads & eco-friendly cotton/ silk thread tassels)
 
SUFFE THE SURFER: This Unisex BTC collection is ethically & sustainably crafted with eco-friendly wood& up cycled bone and is perfect for the beach.
 
LOMBASS The JAGUAR: Urban chic & Upmarket, This Unisex BTC collection is ethically & sustainably crafted with eco-friendly semiprecious stone, lava beads, & metal tassels.
 
SERENDIP BOUTIQUE COLLECTION: exquisitely & sustainably crafted women’s collection.
 
Dhariya: inspired by the sea, a collection of tranquil blues whites and yellows, handcrafted with semiprecious stones ranging from Opal, moonstone, citrine, crystal quartz, turquoise, Aquamarine, Agate, and crystal.
 
Cashmere mist: inspired by winter mists, this collection is subtle and elegant, handcrafted delicately with smoky topaz, smoky quartz, snowflake obsidian, black obsidian, hematite etc.
 
Isya pastel: inspired by water colour paintings this ethereal and serene collection is: rose quartz, morganite, amethyst, jade onyx etc
 
Margali – inspired by the Indian Autumn- this collection is vibrant and stunningly handcrafted with semiprecious carnelian, citrine, yellow topaz, garnet & coral.
 
Gulabi gardenia: inspired by a flower garden, – this collection is sensuous and serene, crafted with emerald, green jade, green amazonite, moss agate, and accentuated with florite, amethyst, rose quartzetc
 
Mehek – Say it in style! Combining bold colours and unique design, this collection will make you stand out and truly make a statement!
 
SERENDIP BOUTIQUE SAMRAJI THE EMPRESS COLLECTION: A recreation of royal renaissance, this high-end collection is regal and grandiosely crafted with kundan, pearl, agate, garante & Jade onyx. Jewellery fit for a queen, perfect for wedding and special occasions.