Mangaluru: In a heart-warming story of hope, a youth organisation constructed a permanent house for a family with small children who were living under a tarpaulin. As part of its decennial celebrations, the Mukkuru Nesara Yuvaka Mandala took the initiative to build a home for a vulnerable family in Kundadka. The Yuvaka Mandala of Peruvaje village in Sullia taluk recently handed over the newly constructed house, Nesara Nilaya, to the family.Honnamma, belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, along with her two young children, was living in a makeshift tarpaulin shelter in Kundadka for the past five years. The family reportedly did not receive ration supplies for the last 10 years. Honnamma survived as a daily wage worker while raising her children under extremely difficult conditions. The house was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2 lakh. The initiative stands out as the entire house was built through shramadana by members of the youth organisation. From the foundation to the roof, every stage of construction was completed through collective effort. While members attended their daily wage and other jobs during the day, they gathered every evening from 7pm to 11pm, working under electric lights to build the house. Construction began on Dec 10 and was completed on Jan 7. In just 27 days, the house was completed entirely through night-time voluntary labour, said Dr Narasimha Sharma Kanavu, president, Nesara Dasapranathi Committee. Over the past decade, the organisation undertook more than 60 social service activities, earning recognition for its consistent commitment to community welfare, said Kumbra Dayakar Alva, convener, Dasapranathi Committee. From the beginning of the project, donors extended support in the form of construction materials and by providing food and refreshments for volunteers. Instead of merely organising a celebratory event to mark the anniversary, the organisation chose to implement a permanent welfare project. In addition to the house construction, a garden was also developed for an anganwadi, said Jagannath Poojary Mukkuru, honorary president of the Nesara Yuvaka Mandala. “I am a daily wage worker. As the president of the youth organisation, I always wanted to help people in need. The 10th anniversary gave us a meaningful opportunity to do so. The hard work and sacrifice of our members are beyond measure,” said Ramesh Kanavu, president, Nesara Yuvaka Mandala. Expressing her gratitude, Honnamma said, “I do not receive ration supplies and lack the documents required for an electricity connection. Because of this, I was living under a tarpaulin with my two children, surviving on daily wage work. The Nesara Yuvaka Mandala and the villagers gave me a new house. I will remain indebted to them for a lifetime.”
