Flood victims rejoiced to get their refurbished houses

Laila Prakashan cannot stop expressing her gratitude to the Caritas India, United Way Bengaluru (UWB) and KIDS for returning such a beautiful house to them. “Everything was inundated in water, most of our belongings were lost in flood and the condition was very poor to do any repair work” recalls Laila.

She stays with her aged parents and her child, her mother is a cancer patient and she works on a daily wage to earn the livelihood and support the family. With myriads of problems, she was still facing the hardship with greater valor but the flood has shattered all her hopes as whatever they had gathered are lost and the house was badly affected.

Caritas India with the support of UWB came forward to help the most affected families during Kerala Floods in 2018 with a plan to refurbish their houses. The families selected based on their low-economic backward depending on either fishing, daily wage work or small income-generating programmes like cattle and goat-rearing, poultry farm, agriculture, stitching, etc.

A total of 18 houses were refurbished by repairing the damaged walls, ceilings, replacing the damaged doors and windows, electrical work, and painting of the houses. All the houses were handed over to the flood-affected families in Paravoor Village, Eranakulam District, Kerala on November 8, 2019, at Vikas Albertinbe Animation Centre, Kottapuram.

As part of the CSR initiative, Caritas India with the financial support of UWB mobilized the fund for the Flood Rebuilding Programmes. Mr.K.B.Jaitran, Municipal Chairman Kodungallur inaugurated the ceremony chaired by Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Karikkassery, Bishop of Kottapuram Diocese. Fr. Jose Olattupuram extended a cordial welcome to all guests and dignitaries present for the event. During the function, renovated house keys were handed over to all the 18 beneficiaries in the presence of Mrs. Sibi Paulose, Programme officer, Caritas India. Fr. Cleetus Kochikkatt, Municipal ward members Mrs. Thankamani Subramanyan, Mrs. Princy Martin, Mr. V.M.Johny were some of the people who addressed the gathering during the even