State pens history by writing notebooks for flood-hit children

PEOPLE TAKE PART IN CAMPAIGN TO WRITE NOTES FOR CHILDREN WHO LOST THEIR STUDY MATERIAL IN DELUGE

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A team from Incubation, a Calicut-based education Non-governmental Organisations (NGO), was on August 14 discussing plans to celebrate Independence Day at Al Ansar orphanage in Kerala’s Malappuram. The children at the orphanage suggested that instead of celebrating, they should do something for those suffering in the flood-affected areas of Kerala. They came up with an idea of helping children with the schoolwork they had lost in the floods.

The team spread the message on social media. In no time, it went viral. Individuals, organisations and educational institutions welcomed the idea. Notes of various subjects and classes were shared on social media in PDF format. The result has been overwhelming and by now thousands of notebooks have been distributed.

“The children in the orphanage wanted to do something for those who were suffering. They have limitations and all they could do was some service. When we spread the message, it spread like wildfire and soon we got the response from other districts, states and even abroad,” said Incubation’s Nabeel Mohammed. The NGO has distributed around 10,000 notebooks in various districts as part of the campaign.

“The idea is to make an individual buy a notebook and write notes of a particular subject for a student, who is in some part of the state traumatized by floods. Nothing can match the love and care that is sent across in the form of a handwritten notebook,” said Elias John, one of the coordinators for the initiative.

Over a week ago, the team organised a writing campaign at St Joseph’s School in Thiruvananthapuram. More than 300 people took part in it.

“Soon, more institutions came forward to hold such events. We could see a never-before enthusiasm from the people who decided to keep aside differences and stand up for the cause,” said John, whose team has distributed over 1,000 notebooks. The teams are collecting study material to be distributed among the flood-affected-children.

Bapuji Smaraka Vayanashala (Bapuji Memorial Library) in Perumkulam, Kottarakkara, which is spearheading a similar campaign in the southern districts, calls it Keralam Ezhuthunnu (Kerala Writes).

Sandra Somanath, a first-year MBBS student in Alappuzha, who suffers from the brittle bone disease, wrote two notebooks. “I cannot go out and help people who are suffering. So I grabbed the opportunity to do something within my limitations.”