Abhayam - I
Uthishta’s first “Abhayam” project supported Mr. Hari from Kannur, Kerala, who is a poor handicapped homeless father of 3 girl children approaching their adolescence. Uthishta volunteers had visited the family and assessed the background of the beneficiary, Mr. Hari, and were moved when found the pathetic plight of Hari and his family, and their struggle to meet both ends.
About Hari
Hari who was working as a stone cutter in the nearby quarry became physically handicapped and doctors advised him not to work anymore. His wife worked in the neighborhood as a domestic help so as to keep her family afloat and support the children studying in the nearby school. Life was extremely tough for Hari’s family and they were somehow pulling on at the mercy of their kind-hearted friends and neighbors. In fact earlier, with all their savings, they had started the construction of a small house in their only piece of land (4 cents); after the foundation was done, their fast deteriorating financial situation forced them to drop the plans altogether
Their humble dream of leading a decent life and building a house before their daughter’s marriage looked impossible to realize. Hari's poor stone cutter co-workers then had agreed to help him with all labor work free or at a minimal cost, if somehow he could manage to get the building materials. That was when a request came to Uthishta through one of our volunteers asking whether we could offer any help to this family.
With the blessings of well-wishers like you, Uthishta completed its first Abhayam project. We asked a couple of well-wishers in Hari’s locality to form a committee involving local representatives and Hari's friends in order to oversee the project, and to ensure the speedy completion of the project within the budget. The total estimate was Rs. 5,00,000/-, in which Uthishta raised Rs. 3,00,000/- and handed over to the committee in installments, based on evaluation of the progress of the work at each phase.
Now, Hari and family lives happily in their own home.