Promise of a new life amidst myriad flowers

Kochi: Third year in a row they are at the Cochin Flower Show and they say that it is an ideal place to communicate a message.

Maithri, the NGO engaged in suicide prevention mission, has set up its stall at the flower show, now underway at the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium.

Artist Anil Thoppil has chipped in by installing at the stall an entrapment, showing poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, consumerism, stress in relationships, diseases etc as reasons leading to suicides.

Nearly a dozen volunteers are at the exhibition distributing leaflets that spread the message of suicide prevention. But one may wonder what the volunteers of an NGO engaged in suicide prevention are doing at a flower show.

“Flowers, the beautiful creations of nature, make you think of the brighter side of life. No better place than this exhibition to drive home such a beautiful message to love life and lead a healthy life. Several visitors here have become our volunteers as well,” said Dr C J John, leading psychiatrist and one of the driving force behind Mythri and now one among 38 volunteers of the organistion.

The volunteers of Maithri, the state arm of Befrienders Worldwide, an international NGO, include doctors, advocates, businessmen and housewives and its current director Ayisha Salim is a homemaker.

Since its inception 18 years ago, 40,000 people have availed its service and majority of them are returning to thank it. Maithri can be reached at ph:0484-2540530.