Hanaru's Founder - Kayoko Hashimoto Govindasamy

Kayoko was born in Sanbongi (now Towada) City and raised in Misawa City, in Japan's Aomori Prefecture on the main island of Honshu. She was the youngest of three sisters and always loved being outside in nature when she was growing up.

In 1981, she moved to Tokyo and started a BA in English but then switched to a BA in Textile Art at the Women's College of Art. During this time she went to Rajasthan in northern India twice and was determined at some point in her life to go back for a long-term stay. She graduated in 1986.

In her last year at the College of Art, she was drawn to a poster on a notice board on campus. The poster was from the Indian Embassy and offered six scholarships to the people of Japan. Kayoko went through the rigorous application process which culminated in the 30 applicants on the shortlist assembling at the Indian Embassy for final interviews.

Kayoko was successful and in 1986 started studying Textile Design at the Visva Bharati University[1], in the now UNESCO World Heritage-listed Santiniketan[2], West Bengal. The Indian Government paid all her university fees and gave her a monthly allowance of 600 rupees (this is equivalent to 8295 rupees in 2024 - in Australian dollars, these are about AUD$11 and AUD$153)[3]. She was granted a two-week leave to study Kalamkari[4] textile art in Andhra Pradesh

In Santiniketan, Kayoko lived without power or access to drinking water - conditions that were in stark contrast to her life in Tokyo - and caused her to re-evaluate what she wanted to achieve in her life. She lived in the International Guest House in a two-person room and was able to cook on a camping stove on her veranda. Having come from an environment where everything was available, she felt a strong empathy towards the people around her struggling with poverty there.

Kayoko moved to Australia in 1988. She married and spent time raising her daughter and son in New South Wales, where she still lives with her husband. They all went to India for a three-month stay in 1994, and Kayoko again found herself living in challenging conditions.

In 1998, she was awarded her Graduate Diploma of Education from Griffith University, Queensland. From January 2000 to December 2024, she worked at the same high school, teaching Japanese to students in Years 7 to 12. Her principal said: "She is a professional, quality, caring teacher who is highly respected across the school community".

Kayoko has also had a solo textile art exhibition in Tokyo, written a vegetarian cookbook (donating all the profit to Amnesty International) and fundraised for orphans at St Peter's Convent in Cochin, South India. She keeps fit by playing table tennis and has represented New South Wales at national veterans' tournaments.

She currently spends time in Australia, India and Japan. Her commitment and work towards Hanaru's success continues wherever she is.