ALAPPUZHA: Karuthal Koottayma is an Alappuzha-based charity organisation that lives up to its name. Karuthal means care or concern, and koottayma, a collective. When good people come together, they say, great things happen. Over the past six years, Karuthal has been helping the needy through ‘foodie fundraisers’. It has constructed 48 houses, conducted weddings of 40 economically backward girls, sponsored education of children, and provided free medical treatment to those in need.
So far, the collective has raised Rs 1.5 crore from charity challenges pegged on biryani, snacks such as achappam and unniyappam, kappalandi (peanuts), sarbath, morumvellam (buttermilk), watermelon juice… the list goes on.
“Whenever a deserving cause is identified, we fix a date for the challenge. We either source the products or make the products ourselves,” says Karuthal founder Shaji K David of Haripad village.“Sometimes, we do door-to-door sales, or set up temporary roadside shacks. People can pay any amount they want – from, say, Rs 10 to Rs 1,000 for a biryani. We have had people who have donated over Rs 1,000. The money is collected in a transparent box and handed over to the beneficiary in the presence of local body heads or ward members.”
Shaji says the challenges are announced on social media for better networking, bringing in people from various walks of life. “Recently, we organised an ‘Achappam challenge’ at the Thrikunnapuzha beach to raise funds for procuring an artificial limb for a youth who had lost a leg in an accident,” he adds. “He was the sole breadwinner of the family, which includes his wife, daughter, brother’s daughter and bedridden parents.” Before launching Karuthal, Shaji worked as a water can supplier in Haripad. “While criss-crossing the town to deliver water cans, I used to come across people seeking alms at traffic signals and roadsides,” he says.
“So, I started carrying snacks in the vehicle, to give to these destitute people. That progressed to midday meal packets. That was the beginning of the Karuthal movement.” Subsequently, Shaji’s friends joined him. Thus was born ‘Karuthal Uchayoonu Koottayma’. Gradually, people from different sections of society joined hands with the initiative.
In the case of construction of houses, Shaji says, donations come in the form of money as well as building materials. “The collected money is handed over to contractors, and Karuthal volunteers supervise the construction,” he adds. “For weddings, we raise funds for clothes, food, marriage hall, etc. We do not encourage dowry.”
Karuthal provides educational assistance to about 200 girl students in Haripad. “Each one is given Rs 4,000 a year,” says Shaji. “The school authorities select the students. Usually, the sponsors directly transfer the payment to the beneficiaries in order to maintain transparency.” Karthikapally panchayat president Girijabhai says Karuthal is a “role-model” collective. “The local body has limitations in reaching out to all those in need. A dependable organisation like Karuthal is, indeed, a big relief,” she adds.