SEEDS is #UnitedwithKerala

Press Release

SEEDS

New Delhi, August 20, 2018

Unprecedented rainfall resulting in widespread floods and landslides has bought havoc to the state of Kerala. Widespread landslides in the hilly districts exacerbated the damage. With over 320 lives lost and half a million people displaced, it is the first time the state has witnessed a calamity of such scale. Incessant rainfall and opening of 80 dams across the state has disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of families’ across Wayanad, Palakkad, Idukki, Alappuzha, Thiruvanthapuram, Ernakulam and Kotayyam. Over 20,000 houses have been damaged and as the water recedes, the final damages are expected to be even higher.

Inundation and landslides have left many houses and schools vulnerable and uninhabitable. At the same time, the hazard of the receding monsoon continues to be a threat to communities of this region. The SEEDS team is on ground in Kerala for initial assessments of the damage caused.

SEEDS is reaching out to the most marginalised tribal communities and slum dwellers, who are unfortunately the last ones to be helped during these grave times. The tribal communities of Wayanad particularly do not have homes to go back to and the situation is expected to remain precarious for next few months.

Phasing

The programme to be carried out over a period of one year will have two major phases namely:

Phase I: Relief activities

Phase II: Early recovery activities

Phase I- Relief

The aim during this initial phase of the programme is to provide immediate relief assistance to the affected families. For aid to be useful to the people struggling with the floods in Kerala, consideration needs to be given on what they will need as they return home. The prime objective is to ensure that the most vulnerable families can get back on their feet with dignity. SEEDS will be delivering support in the form of health camps, family shelter kits and student kits.

Implementation Strategy

SEEDS is gathering its preliminary information to determine the most marginalised and vulnerable families. The activities for the relief operation will include the following:

Shelter Support

Families whose homes have been destroyed deserve a safe place to stay as they return from relief camps.

The consolidated family shelter kits ensure that families are provided all of the essential non-food items. The items of the shelter kits are in synergy with the requirements stated by the District Government of Wayanad.

SEEDS relief distribution approach also builds in accountability at each stage of the process; with attempts to ensure that the materials are appropriate and reach those who are most in need. Systematic distributions will be carried out in which each chosen family will be given a unique code and a token, to be followed with a scheduled phase-wise distribution.

The kits include temporary shelters that are strong but easy to erect, with materials that can also be reused as they build up their homes. Assistance will be provided for erection of the temporary shelters and a thorough documentation will be done in the process.

Composition of a Family Shelter Kit (Tent, utensil set, floor mat, blanket, mosquito net, family hygiene kit, water purifier and container & solar LED lantern)

Health Camps

As the flood waters recede, the fear of diseases and outbreaks is high.

SEEDS is organising temporary medical camps in Wayanad, with an aim of providing immediate and basic health services to the affected population and also focus on prevention of epidemics in the region. Families shall be given free medical consultations and issued basic and prescription medicines on case to case basis.

Cost (INR) 5,00,000

Cost of organising 7 day medical camp (including doctor consultation and basic medication)

Student Kits

With schools inundated or being used as relief camps, education stands affected. Many students also lose their books and school items along with the household goods of their families. The long-term impact on education is unfortunately an invisible secondary impact of disasters that rarely gets the attention it deserves.

SEEDS intends to support school going children who have lost their belongings to floods, with basic school kits.

Cost (INR) 6000

School bag, notebooks, board games, colour pencils and pencil box

Phase II: Early Recovery

The compensation announced by government usually takes a significant time to reach the affected community. At the same time, the hazard of the receding monsoon that brings a second phase of rainfall between October and December continues to be a threat for communities of this region.

Families usually do not stay in tents for so long. Rather than risk unsafe rebuilding, SEEDS will support families with Intermediate shelters. These semi-permanent structures allow for a dignified and safe family life till permanent houses are constructed. Exact specifications will be arrived at by our teams of architects, engineers and social workers in consultation with the selected families and with consciousness of the local soil conditions, environment, and culture.

These families will be identified during the relief phase, focusing on those who are unable to afford house reconstruction or lack access to compensation.

Features of Intermediate Shelters

- Quick construction process

- Low-cost construction technology

- Locally available materials

- Doable using local construction skills

- Acceptable and adaptable for local community

- Size of shelter as per average family size in the region

- Structural design considering flood safety and other disaster resilient elements

- Incremental, that can be expanded later, or their material reused for permanent house

The intervention will be designed to incorporate some level of contribution (largely in kind) from family members so as to ensure a sense of involvement and ownership.

Prototypes will be erected in advance, and guidance notes will be prepared for families who choose to undertake the construction on their own.

Cost (INR) 75000

Cost of supporting one family with transitional shelter

Shelter advisories and repair

How do you know if your house is safe to return to and what can you do to fix it? SEEDS will look at providing shelter advisories to house owners, with an idea of setting up ‘shelter clinics’ that cater to the surrounding areas.

SEEDS will also provide technical assistance for safe repairs to families whose houses are unfit to occupy due to structural damage. The process would involve engineering assessment of the current structure and supporting repair interventions accordingly.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT?

CASH SUPPORT: Contribute generously for the number of families and children you wish to support.

IN-KIND SUPPORT: SEEDS is partnering with Honeywell India and the Delhi Malayalee Association to collect materials for the family shelter kits. The materials must be new and adhere to the list of items in the family shelter kit.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: We welcome employee engagements in any of the following ways:

- Donating one day's basic pay to the cause: The employees of the organisation can come together to donate for the cause. We shall send them personal letters of thanks along with receipt. All contributors will be acknowledged on our website. SEEDS is registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. All donations made to SEEDS are eligible for Tax Deduction under section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961.

- Volunteer support: Employees can support SEEDS as volunteers to respond to the emergency. We are particularly seeking support of volunteers with logistics skills in Delhi; local relief collection in Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore; and architects, water experts and photojournalists in Kerala.

- Pro-bono services: Employees can also support SEEDS with their expert skills on pro-bono basis.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS: Organise fund raising events in support to the cause. SEEDS can partner with you in organising local events to raise awareness on the needs of the flood-affected people.

SEEDS requests your support in reaching out to the affected families.

www.seedsindia.org/the-floods-in-kerala

For further information, please contact:

Meghna

Email - meghna@seedsindia.org