PM Narendra Modi recognizes and applauds the upcycling activities of College in his radio programme- 'Mann Ki Baat'

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 75^th ‘Mann Ki Baat’ praised the activities initiated by the staff and students of St. Teresa’s College in turning waste into wealth. Society of Teresians for Environmental Protection (STEP) and Department of Fashion Designing along with other stakeholders have jointly worked towards making eco-friendly, safe toys out of waste cloth materials collected from across Ernakulam.

Link to the radio programme- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6I-LbWdV6Y

The second year students of Apparel and Fashion Design Technology course under the Department of Fashion Designing developed the design and concept of making toys using cloth pieces and wood. As a part of the project-Kalicheppu, unused, discarded clothes, building material, bags, and boxes found another life as 21 toys, which were handed over to Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) authorities, to be given to an Anganwadi in Mattancherry.

The social entrepreneurship unit in St. Teresa’s College Ernakulam, Kerala- STEP i.e. Society of Teresians for Environment Protection was set up in 2015 and for past six years engaged in manufacture and promotion of eco- friendly alternatives to plastic/rexine bags, up-cycling of textile waste, promoting entrepreneurship among students and providing livelihood to more than 1000 Kudumbashree members across various districts in Kerala in turn facilitating upcycling throughout the state. The team has over the years introduced many innovative, eye catchy and trendy eco friendly products such as ball bags, strawberry bags, zip bags- trendy alternatives to carry bags; Prakriti bags – ecofriendly college bags; multipouch vegetable bags; lunch bags; conference bags; sanitary napkins, diapers, which also got a special mention. The Departments of Commerce (Regular), Commerce (Self-financing), Home Science, Economics and Communicative English are the associating partners.

Taking this initiative ahead, the College team is mentoring a new project- Kalipattam for upcycling shredded tailored excess collected from Kochin Corporation to mass produce educational soft-toys for Anganawadi and preschoolers. The project is being implemented in partnership with Kochi Corporation and is expected to provide a solution for tailoring excess in Kochi.

Congratulations to the entire tam!

News Coverage-
Times of India- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/modi-all-praise-for-reusable-toy-initiative-of-st-teresas/articleshow/81739612.cms

The Hindu- https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion-design-students-make-reusable-educational-toys-for-children-in-anganwadis-out-of-up-cycled-material/article34019957.ece

The New Indian Express- https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2021/mar/29/st-teresas-toys-from-waste-earnspraise-inpm-modis-mann-ki-baat-2282904.html