As a rain-battered Kerala limps back to life following devastation of an unprecedented magnitude, Vizagites are stepping up and pooling in relief material to be sent to the flood-affected people of the State. From Malayalee associations to the student community and biker groups, volunteers are reaching out to people to gather contributions. If you want to contribute relief material, here’s a list of organisations you can reach out to. The collections will continue throughout the week.
Vizag For You
Inside a home in H B Colony, a group of youngsters pack cardboard boxes – carefully segregating the sanitary products, medicines, food items and clothes. Calls pour in enquiring about drop points where the relief materials can be given. There is a sense of urgency in the room as the logistics are discussed for sending off the relief materials at the earliest. This is the Vizag For You group started by student volunteers, who have been collecting relief materials across the city for the past five days. “We have collected clothes, blankets, non-perishable food products and medicines. With the waters receding now, the challenge will be sanitation . So the requirement is more for bleaching powder, scrubbers, brushes and other sanitary products,” says Yamini Dusi a first year dental student and one of the students who started the group.
It all began when Yamini and her friends began to look for ways to help the flood-affected. They found many groups in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad working for Kerala, but none in Visakhapatnam. So they used the social media to spread their message and soon had many people reaching out to them on their Instagram page. “The response is very heartening. We have reached out to city cafes, restaurants and educational institutions like Andhra University and GITAM University to help us with the collection ,” says Yamini.The first lot of relief materials will be sent to to Kerala with the help of Kerala Kala Samithi.
Pick-up points: Chocolate Craft Club, Akkayapalem; South India Mall, Jagadamba; HappyOi, Visalakshi Nagar; Gluttons Garrage, Pandurangapuram; Kaloreez, Daspalla Hills; Myz Uno, Siripuram; Bake My Wish, Lawsons Bay; Hungry Hippo, Seethammadhara; Cream Castle, Gurudwara; ThickShake Factory, Gajuwaka; Soorya Tej Supermarket, MVP Colony.
For details, 9704055340 or 9441477266.
Road Thrill – Vizag
The biker’s community Road Thrill (RT) that has its chapters all over India, has stepped in to mobilise help too. The initiative started from Bengaluru when one of its members who hailed from a small village in Kerala saw how the rains had wiped out entire villages. Other cities followed the initiative. The Visakhapatnam chapter collected relief materials in 10 cardboard boxes that will be sent to Bengaluru this week. “Our Bengaluru chapter will gather relief materials from the various centres and send it to Kerala. A group of eight bikers left for Kerala and Madikeri in Karnataka to help the flood-affected people,” says Naveen Nembhwani, of RT Visakhapatnam. The riders of the group are going door-to-door to collect relief material. The initiative is being carried out in association with Junior Chambers International Visakha Valley and Lions Club. In the next batch, they will be sending utensils, food and medicines.
To contact them, 9966682753.
Aasya Foundation
Aasya Foundation has started the campaign #OneGirlOnePad that is being initiated by its centres all across India. In Visakhapatnam, the collection of sanitary products and other relief materials has been going on for the past 10 days. “We have 10-12 pick-up points and our volunteers are doing door-to-door collection. We have also got contributions from Vizianagaram and Bhimavaram,” says V Tejaswi, a member of the foundation. Around 20 volunteers are working round the clock to ensure the contributions by Vizagites are safely packed and reach the final destination on time. From Visakhapatnam, a truck load of commodities will be sent to Hyderabad this week.
Pick-up points: Dwarkanagar to Daba Gardens (6300253676); Narasimha Nagar to Port Stadium (7660976629); Port Hospital to Gurudwara Junction (8790240542); MVP Colony (8008334460); Yendada to Madhurawada (9121359968); Maddilapalem (8374482449); Vizag Steel Plant (8639235087); Kurmanapalem, Gajuwaka (9014274040).
Malayalee Associations
This year, Onam festivities will be muted at the Kerala Kala Samithi (KKS). The organisation that has around 1,500 members has collected ₹10 lakh that will be donated to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. “We have also collected non-perishable packed food products, utensils, medicines and other essentials. The first lot of relief material will head to Kerala in a special parcel van attached to the Visakhapatnam-Kollam train ,” says ARG Unnithan, president of Kerala Kala Samithi. Other organisations like Kairali Arts Club are also gathering funds to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
The National Service Scheme of Andhra University will be collecting relief material till August 30. For details, 0891-2704795.