Assisting Flood Victims in Kerala, India

By Formosa Relief Team (Originally in Chinese)

Since the rain season began in 2018, the intensity of monsoonal rain in Kerala, India set a hundred year record. From August 8, the entire state was deluged by heavy rain, forcing dams around the state to discharge water simultaneously adding to the flooding. The resulting flood waters in low-lying areas not only cut town-water and electricity services, but also washed away important infrastructure such as bridges, roads, and rural settlements. According to the local government, the continuous downpour claimed at least 200 lives and displaced over a million people. Among them, 900,000 were placed in temporary rescue camps and were in urgent need of daily necessities and medical supplies.   

Supreme Master Ching Hai lovingly donated US$10,000 to help victims, and instructed our Formosa relief team to quickly visit the disaster area to provide aid. A relief team consisting of five members set out on August 23 flying into Mumbai where they were met by our local Association members. Within hours of landing, we held a group meeting to create a disaster relief plan and schedule. On the 24th, we contacted the Non-Governmental Organizations in the affected area and learnt that the road was closed and impassable.

We went to the market to determine the price and variety/availability of relief supplies. We also meditated and prayed that everything would go smoothly and safely, so that we could bring Master’s boundless love to the people in need as soon as possible. 

On August 25 we flew to Chennai and then took the train to Kerala. Our Association members in India contacted NGO’s in the disaster area and found that there were plenty of relief items provided by the government, civil societies and international organizations. There was more than enough food and water. However, due to days of heavy rains, residents bed-sheets and clothes could not be dried and replaced. Therefore, we planned our purchase based on the most urgent needs of victim. One of the NGO staff members took us to the local Catholic Loyola College to meet with Father Louie, Director of the Department of Social Services to discuss disaster relief related matters. Father Louie said that the school would ask for student volunteers to help pack and transport the supplies and would incorporate social services into the learning curriculum.

On August 26, through the introduction of Father Louie, we came to the largest local clothing wholesale store in the area. The store manager was a generous young man who sold us supplies lower than the market price. To thank Master for Her love, he even offered to help deliver the goods to the disaster area 650 kilometers away for free. The manager’s benevolence touched our hearts. He repeatedly said “Thank God” with his hands in prayer, without claiming any credit for himself. 

As the victims were homeless due to extensive flooding and in urgent need of clothes and bed-sheets, we purchased women’s saris, men’s dhotis, bed-sheets, thin scarves, men’s tops and shorts. In addition, for each household, the store manager offered an additional pair of men’s and women’s underwear. In total, we were able to purchase 1,000 packages for families with Master’s loving contribution of US$10,000.

In the morning of August 27, we delivered the supplies to the activity center of Loyola College and packed them with the student volunteers. The college president, Rev. Dr. F. Andrew, SJ, who had a noble and compassionate heart also assisted in packing the relief items. He invited us to the president’s office and granted us an interview for Supreme Master Television. Through the concerted efforts of all involved, we finished packing the supplies on that day. 

On August 28, large trucks transported our purchased supplies to the disaster area of Wayanad District in Kerala. The county was extremely remote, about 650 kilometers from our location, with poor land transportation. We took the train to Calicut Railway Station, taking two large boxes of supplies. After arriving at the train station in the early morning, we then contacted Baby Chalil SJ who was the priest of the Jesuit Society, a social welfare institute, of the Parakkuni Colony in Panamaram, Wayanad District, and went to an extremely remote mountainous area. There was no international aid in that disaster area yet. The church had collected food and water sourced from multiple locations, but clothes and bed-sheets were still needed. The arrival of our relief team’s supplies brightened the lives of the local people giving them hope of a swift recovery, and the volunteers from the city cheered and sang hymns together.  

With the assistance of the local volunteers, we went to the affected villages to investigate and express our condolences from house to house, understanding the villages plight as we too, became drenched by the torrential rain. Thank God for the arrangement. We bought 25 umbrellas, one for each volunteer and the priest with the money that was originally intended to rent big trucks. Now the volunteers did not have to work in the rain during the wet season.   

The trucks that transported the goods did not arrive as scheduled due to traffic and obstacles caused by rain. All the afflicted families were looking forward to the arrival of new clothes. The smiling joy on their faces was like the sun beaming warmth into everyone’s heart. After distributing part of the supplies in the afternoon, we hugged the villagers in the disaster area one by one. When the rest of the relief supplies arrived, the volunteers had distributed the items.

Thanks to Masters’s blessing, we learnt many loving lessons as well as the spirit of humility and selfless service. We thank Master for giving us the opportunity to grow and to realize that true happiness is to help others. Thanks to Heaven’s Supreme Grace, the relief mission was successfully accomplished.

Expenditures by The Supreme Master Ching Hai for Assisting Flood Victims in India

Our Formosa centers contributed US$ 4,925 to cover food and lodging, transportation expenses of the relief team.