Group builds home for struggling family in Bantwal

Mangaluru: A home is more than just a roof over one’s head, and for a financially distressed family in Bantwal, that dream has finally come true, thanks to the collective efforts of a group of people who turned small individual contributions into a life-changing act of compassion.The family of Lingappa Moolya moved to their newly built Tudar House in Sajipa Hoige Majalu of Bantwal taluk recently, after living in a dilapidated tiled-roof house while struggling to make ends meet. Both Lingappa and his son, Chaitanya Kumar, have dwarfism. Another son, who had the same condition, died during childhood.Lingappa’s difficulties were compounded by an accident in which he fractured his legs, leaving him unable to work. He had previously been involved in small businesses, including running an eatery.Understanding the family’s circumstances, members of the Ashaktha Kutumba Seva Yojana came together to rebuild their house. The construction, which began eight months ago, was completed with contributions from members, weekly collections, voluntary labour and support from donors.The house, built at a cost of around Rs 9 lakh to Rs 9.5 lakh, was handed over to the family recently.Yashwanth Deraje, a member of the initiative, said the group was formed after its members, who had individually been helping financially distressed families through food, financial assistance and house repairs, decided to pool their efforts. Around 140 members have joined the initiative, which brings together people from Sajipa Nadu and Padu villages.The group also supports extremely poor families with essential food supplies. Members contribute one to five kg of rice every month, enabling the group to distribute around 30 kg of rice each to five or six needy families. The initiative has been functioning for about a year, and members do not insist on large contributions, encouraging people to participate according to their capacity.Deraje said the completion of the house has encouraged more people to join the initiative. The group has already received requests for assistance from two more families from Sajipa — one person is blind and the other a disabled man — and hopes to extend similar support to them.Stay updated with the latest Mangaluru news. Download the TOI App.