Wake up Kerala helps state navigate troubled waters

KOCHI: Wake up Kerala, a WhatsApp group initiated and coordinated by Art of Living teachers and volunteers and based out of Thiruvananthapuram, which includes people from all walks of life, did major relief work during the days after the flood.

The group which has many administrators came into operations after friends began to add friends and the chain went on, said Kavitha Niroop, one of the main architects of the group.

She says, “In this group people hardly know each other, but are united for a cause.” During the first two days, the focus was mainly on camps in Thiruvananthapuram. Food packets were distributed in three camps as per the requirement and necessities. The relief materials included nighties, lungies, innerwear, sleeping mats, bedspreads, sanitary napkins, water, biscuits, bread, jam and other necessary materials were distributed in all major camps of the city and in Attingal camp, 100 bedspreads were distributed, said Krishnakumar, a volunteer.

On the fourth day, of around Rs 10 lakh worth materials were sent to Pathanamthitta district and a team of six coordinated from Thiruvananthapuram and supported by the Pathanamthitta team. They coordinated and distributed for thirteen camps. The group also conducted a medical camp and medicines were distributed in these camps along with the relief materials, said Kavitha.

“We also sent life jackets to a group of four youths who were into search and rescue operations in their small country boat near Chengannur, Krishnakumar said. The remaining materials were handed over to the Art of Living team at Pathanamthitta, said volunteers Aparna Venugopal and Nived Muraleedharan.
“On the fifth day, we sent materials to Ernakulam-Aluva region in coordination with a team working there and an immediate medical requirement of medicines worth Rs 1.75 lakh was also met,” said Kavitha.

Anand Narayanan, another Art of Living volunteer, said “We initiated a campaign named ‘A Plate, A glass for Kerala’, which was primarily aimed at people donating a plate and a glass for the affected people and the response was tremendous from all whom we approached. Sacks of steel and melamine plates and glasses reached us and they were promptly distributed.”

“On the sixth day, a team of 4 volunteers took a truckload of materials worth Rs 20 lakh and a portion of this was given to the AOL volunteers of Mannar,” said Kavitha. Camps in Mavelikkara, Ambalappuzha and Alappuzha were covered. The remaining materials were handed over to the AOL team in Alappuzha,” she added.

Krishnakumar said in addition to the regular collection centres, the group initiated collection points at marriage and reception events, which had a response with guests pooling in generously.

virtual relief work
Coordinated by Art of Living, the WhatsApp group initially focused on the relief camps working in Thiruvananthapuram They collected and distributed essential materials to respective camps across the state