Citizens adopt flood-hit families

Corporate trainer and volunteer Sengu Paul, who has adopted a family and is helping them rebuild their lives, has started ‘Twinning Chennai Families’, to help more affected households. “I saw many others, who were interested in adopting a family and helping them during this difficult time. We thought of creating a platform, where we can connect families who are in dire need of assistance to those who can genuinely help them, over a period of six months, to ensure consistent development. Our aim is to empower affected families and help them rebuild their lives at the earliest,” he says.

Paul adds that the focus is on helping these families get back their livelihood, their living structures, while ensuring positive mental health. “We have devised an assessment tool with the help of social workers and psychiatrists, to assess the needs of the family, before connecting them to the beneficiaries. At the end of the day, it is about two families coming together and we have to make sure that both their interests are safeguarded. We are also ensuring that people’s dignity is not compromised. At the same time, we don’t want to create a sense of dependency. A family can help the affected household by getting employment opportunities or helping with school fees or sourcing utensils to help set up their kitchens,” he says, adding that close monitoring will be done by the team, but the onus lies with the two families. 

Shylaja Chetlur, who works with the Naam Foundation, an organisation founded by filmmaker Mani Ratnam and actress wife Suhasini Mani Ratnam, and Duchess Helping Hands, says rehabilitation must go beyond just distributing relief materials. “We need to move to other areas and look at long term rehabilitation. For instance, educate people about keeping their surroundings clean, take care of their hygiene — a mindset change that is very important to bring in. Many of those who are impoverished say it is tough. But if I make ten people, including my driver, house help and others think about their immediate environment, I would be happy,” she adds. 

Coimbatore-based businessman Balaji Narayanaswami is finding ways to help Chennai. “We are sourcing stationery and uniforms for children, who have lost everything in the floods. We have identified three government schools, which are in need of assistance. We are collecting funds to fund the education of affected school-children,” he says.