THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the cataclysmic floods hit the state, the fishers hauled out their boats and turned up for rescue work, unbidden. After the mammoth task of rescuing people, most of the boats turned into a wreck and were rendered so useless that they could not be taken into the sea. For months the livelihood of the fishers was affected.
But not for long. This Christmas season, techies turned Santa, helping out the fishers at Alappad, Kollam by refurbishing their boats. As many as 14 boats were refurbished and handed over to the fishers by the Group of Technology Companies (GTech) and Natana, the cultural organisation of techies. The boats were handed over to the fishermen at a programme organised by the group at Alappad, where they sang Christmas carols and cut a cake, ringing in the festive spirit. “When the floods came, they jumped into the rescue, without considering the safety of their boats. These were people who took out the boats on their own and started rescuing people. As part of the rescue mission, we were coordinating with them. After the rescue, we could get back to our jobs, but they couldn't. Their boast were totally damaged, affecting their livelihood,” recalls Deepu S Nath, managing director, FAYA.
“After the rescue mission, the damage sustained to the boats crippled the lives of the fishermen. They could not take out their boats and it was at a time when the catch was good. It hit their livelihood adversely. Haling from that place, I knew their plight and that is how I got in touch with the GTech community,” says Nayana Sooryan, a filmmaker.
And that is how the fishermen's plight came under active discussion at the GTech community's meeting convened for its rehabilitation and rebuilding initiative. The affected were identified by the community. “Most of the fishermen took part in the rescue mission on their own will. They were the first ones to help out. However, some of their names were not included in the beneficiary list prepared by the government. So we first chose six fishermen and refurbished their boats. In the next leg, we worked in tandem with the government, letting them know about the fishers whom we were helping out,” says Deepu.
As many as six boats were refurbished and given to the fishers in September. The rest 14 boats were refurbished and given away on December 22. The amount towards this end was obtained from the money raised from the Revival programme, a cultural event organised by techies.“We are in the process of identifying the requirements in the areas of Poonthura. After the rescue and relief measure, now it is time for rebuilding and rehabilitation. This is the first execution of our rebuilding initiative,” says Deepu.