KOCHI: It has been five years since Sr Lizzy Chakalakkal, principal of Our Lady’s Convent Girls Higher Secondary School, Chellanam, launched a project to help the homeless have a shelter of their own. The mission, which has been titled 'House Challenge', took off when Sr Lizzy came to know that one of her students didn't have a house. Today, 105 houses have been built and handed over to the beneficiaries under the House Challenge project.
"What are the basic necessities a human being needs to lead a happy productive life? Food, clothing and shelter. In Kerala, cases of people starving or being in need of clothes are very rarely reported. However, one of the most persistent need today in our state is safe abodes, especially for women and the differently-abled," she said. According to her, a woman feels safe and is able to lead a life of dignity if she has a secure place to call home.
When, women, especially those who live alone with their daughters, don't have a safe abode they are prone to fall prey to attacks by anti-social elements, she said. "They even are exploited by people who promise them security. Hence, it becomes a necessity to come to the help of the poor, weak and the needy," said Sr Lizzy.
It also promotes a culture of sharing, she added. "The funds for the construction of the houses are obtained via contributions. There is no cultural or class divide when it comes to contributing to the House Challenge. Some people can afford to pitch in with monetary help, while others contribute their skills," she said. According to her, it is not right to always depend on the government to solve our problems.
"The citizens too need to pitch in and do their part. Recently, a retired couple recently came to me. The husband was a retired police officer and the wife retired from the KSEB. They wanted to donate `one lakh towards the House Challenge. According to them, they found the endeavour a genuine one and wanted to do their bit," she said.
It will also come as a surprise that the entire construction costs only `five lakh. "The aim is to complete the house using just `five lakh and not more. The fact that the materials are being provided by us and the labourers help out by working free of cost as their contribution towards the project, we are able to complete the houses within the budget," she said. However, it should be taken note that no compromise is made in the quality of the construction, she added.
"These are poor people we are talking about. They won't have money to carry out repair work and hence it becomes important that they are handed over a good quality house," she said. The houses spanning 500 to 600 sq ft have two bedrooms, a kitchen, sit out and attached bathrooms.
The House Challenge has spanned out in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur. According to Sr Lizzy, two houses have been completed in Thiruvananthapuram. "Around 50 houses have been planned in Alappuzha, especially in the Kuttanad region that had been worst affected by the floods. In Ernakulam, we have completed 105 houses. These are mainly in the flood-affected areas and also Chellanam," she said.
According to her, the project is an ongoing one and will continue as long as people contribute monetarily and also their skills. "By June we will complete 110 houses in Ernakulam," she said.