Kalpetta: Life changed in unimaginably tragic ways for Wayanad resident Sruthi in the past two months. She lost her dear ones and her home in the landslide. Just when it seemed she could recover, she also lost her fiance, Jenson, in an accident. Now, a group of Youtubers are trying their bit to ensure a new start for Sruthi by giving her a home.
A 'YouTube' channel from Chalakkudy, Thrissur district, namely 'Time News', has mobilised funds to buy land for her and is pooling their savings to construct a home. "With their efforts, 11.5 cents land was received at Ponnada near Maniyankode in the outskirts of the town,” said Sruthi. Last week, Kalpetta MLA T Siddique laid the stone for the 1500-square-feet house. Sitting in an ambulance, Sruthi witnessed the stone-laying ceremony.
Despite the bitter blows she had received one after another, it was a pleasant surprise for Sruthi as support and care flowed in from different corners.
Sitting in her rented house at Ilambilery near Meppadi, Sruthi said that the injuries from the accident have started to heal. Her movements are still restricted to a wheelchair, and without help, she cannot perform her daily routine. "My physical condition has improved, but still, I need help from somebody,” said Sruthi, who is now staying with her cousins.
The representatives of Time News, Denish Davis & Enoch Joseph Antony, said they had come to Wayanad to cover Jenson's death and Sruthi's plight for their new YouTube channel and later decided to build a home for her.
Enoch, who had lost his father recently, could fathom the depth of sorrow that Sruthi was going through. The duo had first approached the relatives in the hospital to know whether she needed a home. When the relatives said yes, they collected an application from Sruthi.
The first challenge they faced was to zero in on an ideal land for the home. "A woman, Beena, known for her charity activities, expressed her willingness to donate 11.5 cents of land. We had some money saved for constructing an office for the channel but both of us decided to construct a home for Sruthi first,” said Danish Davis. The expected cost for the house is Rs 30 lakh. There will not be any public fund-raising for the construction. They would use the money they already have for the initial stage of construction, and some friends and relatives promised to chip in.
