THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Saho Challenge’, a challenge initiated by the T’Puram corporation to support the pandemic-stricken fishermen who helped save lives during the floods is gaining momentum in the city. Various city-based organisations and NSS units have taken up the same to help feed the fisher community.Under ‘A Toast to the Coast’ (Theerathinu Oru Kaithangu), the project is being executed through Consumerfed to aid the families of fishermen.
As part of the initiative, an online workshop on making sanitiser holder bags was conducted by volunteers of the Green Army International, an organisation educating children on the zero waste scheme. More than eight city-based welfare organisations and NSS units from different schools and colleges are part of the initiative.“The sanitiser holder bags are made from old clothes and are priced at H25. Around 5,000 bags have already been made by various NSS units in the city,” said Shibu K Nair, who leads the training programme.
Students, IT employees and people from other sectors are also involved in making sanitiser holder bags as part of the Saho Challenge. “Most of our volunteers, who are University College students, have stitched the sanitiser holder bags from old saris and scrap clothes. Bags come in different designs and sizes. So far, we have sold over 100 bags. An amount of H2,500 has been collected after selling the bags which will soon be handed over to the city corporation,” said Ananthakrishnan M S, co-founder of city-based NGO, Care Others Too (CO2).
“The mission of the Saho Challenge is to make and sell over two lakh sanitiser holder bags to raise funds for the fishermen community. We have already received positive feedback and more organisations and individuals are coming forward to help. Food kits worth Rs 1,000 are also being distributed to the fishermen community,” said Mayor K Sreekumar.