KOCHI: To support Chendamangalam weavers, who lost stock worth `20 crore in the deluge, Infopark Kochi on Friday announced the launch of ‘Chekkutty - the doll of hope' campaign. It intends to invite Infopark companies and their employees to adopt Chekkutty dolls as a symbol of their support towards the weavers of Chendamangalam, the weaving village on the outskirts of Ernakulam.
The sponsor of 100 Chekkutty dolls will receive a Chekkutty doll and a certificate of appreciation from the Chief Minister. The fund raised from the campaign will be used to support Chendamangalam's handloom industry.The dolls are made from handloom sarees weaved for Onam sales, before the floods damaged them, shattering the livelihood of over 600 weavers, mostly women.
Kerala IT Parks CEO Hrishikesh Nair, who is also the CEO of Infopark Kochi, announced the launch of the campaign by handing over a Chekkutty doll to Minister for Local Self-Governments A C Moideen, who visited Infopark. Addressing IT employees, Moideen urged them to contribute more towards rebuilding the flood-hit state. “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to every techie and every company in Infopark who have come out during the most difficult time we faced either as a volunteer in rescue and relief operations or donated generously towards the various relief activities and also into the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund,” said the minister.
“The damage caused by the flood is high and the estimation of rebuilding the state is huge. Therefore, we need support from every quarter and we urge each one of you to please contribute whatever is possible,” he added. MLAs P T Thomas, Hibi Eden and Ernakulam Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla also attended the meeting.
Hrishikesh Nair said all companies based at three IT parks contributed a total of `6 crore towards the distress relief fund and collected around 25 tonnes of relief materials (including dry ration, clothes, etc) that were distributed across various relief camps in the state.