One of the first resident student of Syamantak, a nature-obsessed boy from Konkan. His first-hand knowledge and multi-skill approach to learning at Syamantak laid the groundwork for Indigenous culture and technologies. Mohammad is a member of the Wetland Brief Documentation Committee for all districts in Maharashtra’s Konkan Division. He received his Masters of Arts degree in Rural Development and submitted an outstanding dissertation on Dhamapur Lake, which was based on his field research in Syamantak. In 2017, he gave a very inspiring TEDx talk at Goa University based on his life journey.
He has skills and knowledge that you can only gain from him with personal experience. Vishwas is not so academically inclined towards reading and writing but his hands-on skills and experience in natural construction, cooking and cattle farm is exceptional. He was a child with dyslexia but considered as a mentally challenged student by his school teachers therefore couldn’t gain much from his school education. As a resident of Syamantak family since 2010 he has remarkably excelled in hands-on skills to become a mentor of various appropriate technologies in indigenous constructions, crafts and culinary art.
Founder of Ad-Venture Infosys, initiated computer-aided learning in rural and urban schools of Madhya Pradesh. He and his wife Meenal initiated the Syamantak community in an old traditional house in Dhamapur village. He has been an outspoken supporter of Nai talim education and Gramudyog. Through his talks and interviews on various educational platforms, he has shared the practise of hands-on learning and sustainable living.
Shrikrishna Joshi is social worker from Goa. After working as a technician for a reputed company he worked as a teacher in a village school. His interest is towards applying the science and knowledge of engineering to natural agriculture practices. At his ancestral village farm in Parule, Shrikrishna gets to use his technical skills in service of something he’s already passionate about.
Ar.Tallulah D Silva is passionate about architecture, sustainability, vernacular building systems, ecology and Goa. Social and environmental issues are close to her heart. She is passionately engaged with urban interventions for city renewal, transportation, mobility, and heritage conservation of Panjim city. She has also worked on research, documentation projects with recommendations to regional developmental issues like water pollution, impact of small and medium guest houses/ hotels on water bodies, need and implementation of dry toilets for a local village, etc. Tallulah has won numerous awards and many of her projects have been featured in notable publications.
Youngest and first resident of the Syamantak family. She was three years old when she migrated with her parents from Bhopal to Dhamapur. A un-schooler having multi-dimensional skills and knowledge in Indian classical music, writing skills, natural dying natural paints, stitching and knitting etc. She is pursuing her taleem in Indian classical music (Vocal, Tabla and Rudra Veena). In her spare time she also assist Syamantak volunteer lawyers in drafting social and environment related cases. Mrunalini is presently receiving taleem on Rudraveena of original unmodified style (holding the instrument entirely on the body and in playing Dhrupad genre) under the tutelage of Vidushi Jyoti Hegde. She is pursuing her academic studies in journalism from YCMOU.
