THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Abhinav, a first grader and his sister Abhinaya will move into their brand new home and start a new life on Tuesday all thanks to the villagers of Poozhanad.
It all started when the members of the Bhavana Library, Arts and Cultural Centre, Poozhanad, came to know that Abhinaya didn’t have a TV at home to pursue online studies. They visited her home to ascertain the situation but they realised that kids were living in a precarious situation — their dilapidated house could collapse anytime.
“The home was a makeshift one and there were no utensils or anything that a home required. The grandmother of the kids was mentally unwell and the father was absent. They needed more than a TV. It was imperative that the living conditions of the children were improved,” says Poozhanadu Gopan, president of Bhavana Library. They planned to build a home for the kids. Efforts were taken to bring back the father and provide treatment to the grandmother.
“It is not about building a home, but reuniting a broken family,” says Gopan. The home has been constructed in Tholikotukonam, a hamlet in the Ottashekharamangalam panchayat. The key to the house will be handed over by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Thiruvananthapram MP Shashi Tharoor will attend the event. The house warming ceremony will be inaugurated by Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G R Anil.
The whole initiative has been pioneered by Bhavana Library by mobilising villagers during the lockdown. According to Gopan, it was a collective effort and all the villagers participated. “No labour expense was incurred. Every work was carried out by the villagers. People from the city also took part in the work. I would put up a post on my social media profile in the morning asking if any mason is available. I would get a flurry of responses from people. They would come, work and leave, for free. It has all been about mobilising a huge human resource for work,” says Gopan.
The members of the library helped to get the grandmother treated. The home has been sculpted in a contemporary style with graphical artwork. The good samaritans have ensured the home is equipped with furniture and necessary supplies. The team is gearing up to start building a home for another deserving person in the community in January.