Picking up the Pieces: Helping Kerala Rebuild

Remembering the dreadful Night:

“It was past 6 pm on that unfortunate day and was getting dark. As usual, we were busy with our routine work when we heard some exploding noise. It was a horrifying sound of our unfortunate tale that was about to begin. We didn’t know what was happening. We heard the sound repeatedly and then some of the houses got hit with the rocks.The water attacked us from everywhere from the sky, overflowing dams, and swelling rivers. We were extremely terrified and there came a time when water was up high till our neck. I didn’t know if my family and I will be able to survive yet, we did.

I saw my house, my field, my cattle rendered under the heavy flow of water. We all managed to run away to a place to escape the wrath with utmost in the dark. When the daylight spread the place the next day, it looked nothing like what it was earlier- It was mere wreckage. 

There is no direct connectivity to our area, not much help came to us in the beginning. We thought we wouldn’t survive if nobody comes to rescue us. Never have I ever felt so devastated and desperate in my life. We didn’t have anything to eat for the next three days. That distressed evening still haunts me and sends a shiver down my spine.” Karunan, a resident of the tribal community in Cheriyamkolly in Wayanad district.

Ever since the devastating deluge occurred in Kerala, life came to stand still. An emergency response team of IGSSS were proactively present in the areas where initially help didn’t reach due to poor connectivity. The tribal communities in Wayanad district are the most affected and yet were secluded from any relief materials and necessary help. Our team identified the most suffered families and helped them with the basic necessary items.

TRANSITIONAL SHELTERS are built with support from Gujarat based Brihati Foundation for families living in tribal areas where they are presently residing until they come back to terms with the loss of their livelihood and houses. From food to clean water, From shelter to livelihood support, we will be there for KERALA until it comes to normalcy.

“We are re-building our lives bit by bit and people in IGSSS at every step making sure that we are “able” to rebuild our lives. At least now we have a place called home which we can call ours”, said Silsily, Karunan’s wife.