KASARAGOD: Fifty-nine days ago, two friends from Wayanad started a cross-country cycle trip with a mission to build five houses for five poor families. By the time they pedalled 360 km on the hill highway and reached Kasaragod town, they raised enough money (around Rs 2 lakh) to do the groundwork and dig the foundation trenches on the 20-cent plot they bought before starting the journey.
Unlike other fund raising drives, Reneesh TR (32) and KG Nigin (32) have chalked out the entire project before starting their journey. "The work on the houses will progress simultaneously. We will stop cycling when the houses are ready," said Reneesh, a salesperson in a mobile shop at Ambalavayal village, near Edakkal Caves.
For this ambitious project, their motto is: Donate Rs 1, change somebody's life. "Yes, we are asking only Rs 1 because that's an amount we can ask from a poor person and also a millionaire," says Nigin, who works as a physical education teacher in a private school in Sultan Bathery.
The beneficiaries will be selected during the journey. "They will be mostly from Kerala because it may be difficult for people from other states to move to Wayanad," said Reneesh. When Reneesh and Nigin reached Kasaragod town, they had a surprise from Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi in the form of a letter of appreciation through Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan.
The letter reads: "I congratulate you on your noble mission to raise funds to build homes for the underprivileged. As you embark on a cross-country cycling tour for this cause, I hope your journey inspires others to embrace their ability to make a difference."
"We often underestimate the power of a small act of generosity. I am glad that your endeavour appeals to the innate goodness in people," Gandhi wrote and wished them a "safe and fulfilling journey".
Twelves years ago, Nigin walked into Reneesh's shop to recharge his mobile phone. They struck a chord with each other. Since then, Nigin would come to the shop almost every day. "Our conversations have led to many small charity acts, helping those in need," said Reneesh.
During one such conversation, they thought of helping build houses for the poor because "homes remain an unfulfilled dream of many in this country". Their friend Joshy sold 20 cents to them for Rs 7 lakh. "He gave us a discount because he knew our mission," said Reneesh.
Each house -- to be built at a cost of Rs 6 lakh -- will have a carpet area of 600 sq ft with two bedrooms, a hall and a kitchen. Since they did not have money, they signed an agreement with Joshy to transfer small amounts as and when they raise it and he agreed to allow construction work before the amount is paid fully.
Reneesh's boss Saifudeen and another friend Durga are managing the backend of the trip and running their YouTube channel 'Mission One Rupee' from Wayanad. On December 10, Reneesh and Nigin pushed off from Ambalavayal with Rs 200 in their pocket.
They had a solar-powered battery to recharge their phones, a tent, and a portable gas cylinder to cook food on the road. "Initially, we stayed in the tent and cooked our food. But for the past three weeks, many people have come forward to give us food and accommodation," said Reneesh.
Their YouTube channel is slowly reaching the mobile phones of rural villages. When they reached Rajapuram, Nivin Ronney, a class 4 student, broke his piggy bank and gave the money to them. "When we counted, it had Rs 1,116. He was saving the money to buy a bicycle," he said.
Nivin was inspired after seeing Reneesh and Nigin on YouTube.Reneesh said they have set aside two years of their lives for this cause. "In two years we cannot achieve anything great. But if the two years can be used to help build homes for five families, it will be something to cherish for a long time," he said.