Kozhikode: Numerous flex boards that dot the length and breadth of Kerala are an eyesore to many, but fans of movie stars and soccer teams don't mind spending some money to raise the environmentally harmful propaganda material made of poly-vinyl chloride (PVC). Amid social media trolls urging fans of vanquished World Cup teams to use flex boards to cover poultry coops, a charitable society here is requesting such dejected fans to donate flex boards, not for the the fowls, but for less privileged people, who live under leaking roofs amid the raging monsoon in Kerala. The Kozhikode wing of Blood Donors Kerala's (BDK) has made a plea on social media in this regard on Thursday. Its office-bearers are getting calls from even the neighbouring districts.
“Germany fans from Malappuram, Palakkad, Wayanad and Kannur as well as Kozhikode are calling. Willing donors from Koduvally and Thamarassery in Kozhikode district have been requested to deposit the boards at Ikkayees restaurant on Gujarati street, near south beach. In other districts, we have asked them to collect them at a point in their own district and put them to use among the needy,” says Amjad Rahman, one of the executive members of BDK.
BDK volunteers would be coordinating the collection of used flex, and to make them as a cover for leaking roofs in the heavy rain.
"Our group has identified people living in a miserable state at localities like Puthiya Palam, Chinthavalappu, Vellayil beach etc. in Kozhikode. Soccer fans themselves can locate needy people in nearby areas. We are just facilitating the utilisation of these unwanted flex, and all are welcome to join,” Amjad said.
To donate the flex boards, the BDK volunteers can be contacted on 9048996123 or 9946636583.
“The idea to creatively use the unwanted flex boards came to mind after seeing the fans of other teams trolling the Germany fans and destroying their flex boards. In some places, flex boards were even torn apart after the team's exit from the world cup. It is better to make use of these material for a cause, than just putting them away as a non-biodegradable waste,” Amjad.
Germany, a soccer powerhouse, has existed from the ongoing FIFA World Cup and soon its numerous fans in Kerala became the butt of social media lampooning. A popular troll content named 'Kozhikood' (chicken coop) asked fans of losing soccer teams to use the flex boards which were put up to hail them as cover for chicken coop.
Blood Donors Kerala is a charity organisation formed in 2011 by Vinod Bhaskar, a native of Kottayam, to connect the blood donors across the state. They have hundreds of volunteers in Kerala, with executive committees in every 14 districts, apart from their branches in the Middle East.
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