KALPETTA: Amid the recovery and rebuilding efforts in the wake of the devastating landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala, 24 young survivors are about to receive a lifetime experience. Thanks to a heartwarming initiative titled “Orumichonam,” these children will be in Kochi on Sunday to witness Kerala Blasters take on Punjab FC in the opening game of the Yellow Army’s Indian Super League (ISL) season.
It will be more than just a game for these special guests as they will have the unique honour of walking hand-in-hand with the players as they enter onto the pitch.The children, aged between 8 and 12 years, are students from Vellarmala GVHSS, Mundakkai LP School, and Meppadi WMO School.
Many of them have lost relatives and homes in the landslide and are now living in rented accommodations as part of a temporary government rehabilitation programme.
The trip to Kochi, organised by the MES state committee, youth wing state committee, Futureace Hospital Kochi, and the Kerala Blasters team management, is designed to provide a glimmer of joy and normalcy in their lives. The selected children, chosen for their height (up to 120 cm) and age, will not only witness the match but will also receive new clothes as part of the Onam celebrations. The parents of the children will also be in attendance for the game.
The journey began on Saturday with a ceremonial flag-off at Kalpetta, led by district panchayat president Samshad Marakkar and MES youth wing state president R K Shafi. The children will enjoy a leisure trip by bus, with accommodations and travel arranged by the MES youth wing state committee. They will be trained as player escorts on matchday morning and greeted with cheers by Manjappada, the fan club of the Blasters, in the evening.
For Athif Aslam, one of the excited students, the upcoming match represents a dream come true. “We are excited to see Kerala Blasters in action. We used to watch them on television, but this time we are going to interact with them directly,” said Athif, who will be escorting Blasters’ captain Adrian Luna onto the field.