Kerala displayed sheer grit and braved one of the worst calamities in its whole history. It’s our turn to get the state back on track. The state is already on the rebuilding mode with financial aid still pouring in from many parts of the state and the country. Non-profit organisations are playing a pivotal part in the process. Many such organisations have been in the forefront of donating funds and providing help in rehabilitating those who lost their belongings during the calamity.
The Kerala Muslim Community Association (KMCA), a non-profit organisation based in California, was actively involved in relief works and has come up with a project to build 15 houses at KMCA Village, Panamaram, Wayanad, for the flood affected. The foundation stone for the project was laid last week. The project is being executed in association with Daya Rehabilitation Trust (Thanal), a leading NGO based in Kozhikode.
“KMCA has been active for the past eight years, though it got formal recognition in 2016. The association has members from all over Kerala. The group mainly focuses on cultural activities. For us, the primary objective is to maintain the ‘Malayali’ identity of our members. We conduct Malayalam classes for the children of our group, organise cultural and sports activities, and celebrate all festivals,” says Asif E.T.V., president of KMCA.
KMCA actively participated in the flood relief activities. The families of many of their members were affected by the calamity. “Wayanad was first hit by the flood. So, we wanted to help the victims in some way. We collected '2-3 lakh and used the money for distributing food kits. That’s when the flood started hitting other districts, and we planned to raise more funds. We realised that the needs of people were immense and initiated wider fund raising,” adds Asif. They received help from many mosques, and raised funds through methods like crowdfunding, matching donations from employees etc.
Once the fund was raised, they decided to use it for four purposes. The first thing they did was releasing immediate funds for places like Wayanad and Aluva, which were the worst hit. They distributed school kits and hygiene products at Aluva. Their next initiative was conducting a food festival in the USA, which had the participation of many Keralites. They amassed a substantial amount from the event and adding other funds to it, they donated Rs 25 lakh to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). They also personally helped in the rehabilitation of many of the families the members personally knew. The final initiative was investing a bulk amount for a project and that’s how they decided to build houses for the victims.
“Thanal was already active in relief works then. They had already constructed some houses at Panamaram. Thanal gets applications for houses from many and they pick the most genuine ones. They run a thorough enquiry regarding the financial condition of the family — whether they own another property etc. That was our initial screening and we conduct an enquiry from our part, too. The other project was completed by Thanal in 45 days. We went to the location and people are really happy in their new homes. Houses are built in a way that the strength and durability is never compromised. The longevity of the houses is expected to be around 100 years and the technology used will help it survive another flood. The property has space to accommodate 20 houses. We are planning to build five more,” adds Asif.
