Emergency Chennai Flood Relief

The heavy floods that affected Chennai in December 2015 stays afresh even now in the minds of those who witnessed the dreadful event. To mitigate the impact, Bhumi had provided necessary support through the distribution of household utilities and other survival essentials to the affected. Bhumi had also carried out various rehabilitation activities to help areas around Chennai in recovering from the tremendous damage and loss to infrastructure. Volunteers analysed the condition of various schools, shelter homes and orphanages in these areas, and understood the on-ground reality from the local residents. Thereafter, restoration work started where such help was indispensable.

Home of Hope, in Thirunindravur (on the outskirts of Chennai) for 32 children, was one of the badly affected shelter homes. Bhumi, identifying the need, stepped up immediately to provide school uniforms, school utilities like books and school bags. Desktops were also installed in the home.

However, the home had a much bigger problem. The condition of the boys hostel needed immediate renovation. The walls were damaged, and required to be strengthened before being plastered.

Considering the mandate as per the Juvenile Justice Act for the Care & Protection of children, Bhumi started renovating the building. Pillar support for walls were provided. Walls were plastered and painted. The roof was reconstructed; and in no time, the boys hostel was restored and the surroundings were beautified. Library, dormitory and the warden's room were also constructed.

Although there's little control over natural disasters, we can certainly ensure reducing the impact by providing proper insfrastructure to the needy. This renovation was more than giving shelter to children; a drop in the ocean of measures to achieve the Global Goal of poverty reduction and the UNISDR's goal of reducing number of disaster affected people through the construction of stronger abodes. 

Karunai Illam, a shelter home (an orphanage) in Madambakkam, Chennai, is occupied by more than 100 children and few warm caretakers. The home was surrounded by unhygienic and unsafe conditions until recently.

An open ground adjacent to the home has been a place for local residents to dump garbage. The area housing boys had no surrounding compound wall, making it open to this garbage filled ground - thus, breeding deadly diseases. Furthermore, the home is located in a low-lying area and the boys’ rooms, facing an upward slope, is often flooded during rains.

As the first step to fight the home’s malady, the home's management sought Bhumi's support for the construction of a compound wall on the side facing the upward slope. The home had walls on two others sides already and the adjacent buildings on the fourth side formed the boundary for it. The dumping grounds have also been cleared to some extent. Bhumi also identified the need for school uniform cloth materials, and ensured these were also distributed to the children.

The children no more have to experience the sight of filth in the pleasant mornings. The management will no more remain in fear of playful children running out of sight and getting hurt or even worse getting lost. The wall is constructed to resist flooding in case of heavy rains owing to its location. A sense of security and safety is laid with each brick of the compound wall.