Instead of taking their usual summer vacation, Ahmad Zachariah Faizal, Hassan Hussain, Omar Alimi and Furqan Shahzad, who were classmates in the UAE and now studying in different universities in the UAE and the UK, decided to get together and do something different for their holidays this year.
In fact, it was Faizal, son of philanthropist industrialist Faizal Kottikollon, who contacted his friends explaining them the situation in Kerala and the help required.
The four friends, Hussain from Sweden, Alimi from Syria, Shahzad from Kashmir, and Zachariah arrived in Kerala and chose Chalakudy as their place of action, where the recent floods caused much havoc. The friends chose to clean the buildings, which were submerged in the floods.
They visited Anugraha Sadan at Chalakudy, a home for differently abled children suffering from cerebral palsy. Though the interiors were cleaned, the surroundings of the home was filled with debris, medical waste such as needles and bandage among others, which would have created health issues for the children.
For several days
They spent many hours over several days to make the space safe and hygienic.
They also cleaned the premises of Divine De-Addiction Centre at Chalakudy.
It was through Faizal and Shabana Foundation that the four friends rendered their yeoman service at Chalakudy.
Founded in 2007, the foundation has impacted thousands of lives in India and the Middle East, in more than 25 programs spending around $20 million in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the UAE, including providing world-class education facilities in Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu, Kozhikode.
Talking about this initiative, Zachariah said: “It was a life-changing experience for us in Kerala. We visited several places in Kerala and learnt about the havoc caused by the floods, how people suffered, animals died, and crops were damaged. At Anugraha Sadan, bonding with children was a great experience and we are grateful to have received the opportunity to help and serve some in Kerala, at this time of need.”
