A group of youngsters from here brought cheer to the 37 families of Vaniyampuzha tribal colony near Munderi, Nilambur, last week when they set up a solar panel to help the tribespeople recharge their mobile phones.
The Vaniyampuzha tribespeople have been living in tents in the forest almost exposed to the elements and without even basic facilities since their colony was devastated by the floods in August.
The two bridges across the Chaliyar connecting the colony with the mainland were washed away in the floods.
With little access to the mainland, the tribespeople have been depending on the traditional bamboo rafts to cross the river.
They have to walk more than three kilometres to get to a place to recharge their mobile phones.
More if required
The youth group addressed the problem by installing a solar panel, a battery and an inverter at the colony. The recharging facility was erected at the Alternative School at Vaniyampuzha.
Four recharging outlets were set up initially. M. Vinay, who led the collective, said that more recharging outlets could be installed if needed. “We have set up a fairly good battery that can support more than a dozen mobile phones and a computer at a time,” said Mr. Vinay. Mr. Vinay and team chose Vaniyampuzha after the sufferings of the people in this colony were featured in these columns.
Offers of help
He said that on hearing about their initiative, several others too had been offering support. “We are happy our little gestures prompted others to reach out to their fellow beings,” he said.
Mr. Vinay and team went to the tribal colonies and studied their conditions. “Food and clothing were pouring in from different parts of the State in the wake of the floods. Identifying the real needs of a community is more important in social work,” he said.
Their gesture touched the hearts of the tribal community. The smile on their faces testified it.
