On Sunday, Kochi kids Haroon and Diya broke their piggy bank and donated all their money to the Chief Minister’s flood relief fund in Kerala. The brother-sister duo had been carefully collecting and depositing into their piggy bank every single penny they have been receiving since 2016.
"They were in the habit of keeping safe each and every coin and note including the money they received from adults for Vishu and Eid for the past two years," DC quoted their mother Fathimma, a Kalloor resident, who shared this incident in a Facebook post.
Speaking to TNM, Fathimma said that Haroon, a UKG student, and Diya who is in 4th standard, had been noticing all the buzz in the house for the past two days to help flood relief victims. All of this got them wondering how they too could chip in.
"We were collecting clothes, buying rice and other stuff and putting them in small packets to be sent to the camps. They were noticing this and then they came up to me and asked me how they could help," said Fathimma
Their gesture delighted their mother who said that she was surprised as she knew how fiercely protective her children were of their piggy bank and its cash contents.
"The piggy itself was handmade by Haroon during one of his summer camps. I once went to take some change from their bank as I did not have the exact amount to buy something and I nearly ran for my life when they found out," Fathimma wrote in her Facebook post.
Haroon's and Diya's contribution to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund is 2210 rupees. They told their mother that this amount was to help kids who lost their books and bags in the floods.
Fathimma also stated in her post that her family wished to contribute to the CM's relief fund and challenge the alleged hate campaign that discouraged Keralites from contributing to the CM Flood Relief Fund.
Kerala witnessed unprecedented rainfall over the past few weeks resulting in flooding in 10 out of 14 districts in the state. As many as 37 people passed away due to rain related calamities and over 1 lakh people have been left homeless due to the floods caused by the opening of dams in different districts and landslides in Idukki and Wayanad.
An immediate relief fund of Rs 100 crore has been granted to Kerala by the Centre. The State had however asked for Rs 1220 crore as immediate relief as it has suffered material losses to the tune of Rs 8000 crore in the floods.
Keralites are now coming together to help those who have lost their homes and have been put up in relief camps in different schools across the state.
If you know of inspiring stories of people contributing to this cause in and outside of Kerala, do let us know at email@thenewsminute.com