Beginning on 15 August 2018, Kerala, the southernmost state of India, witnessed severe floods due to unusually high rainfall during the monsoon season. It was the worst flooding in Kerala in nearly a century. Conditions in Kerala were really bad with most of the places either under water or destroyed due to landslides. Other than government organizations many local teams were contributing in the rescue operations and supplying of materials in rescue camps. Immediately all the Anglo Eastern families were called to ensure their safety & wellbeing when we realized that many of our on leave AE sailors were actively volunteering in rescue & relief operations.
AESM management initiated fund raising to assist the reconstruction of the state. Capt. Vinay Singh appealed to all ship staff to generously contribute towards the noble cause. Mr. Maneesh Pradhan & Mr. Francis Akkara coordinated the fund management of ANAVI & Kiran Medicure, with the teams on-site. Mr. Venus Venugopal (Hong Kong office) and Mr. Prem Allencherry (Singapore office) coordinated in management office. Since many of our AE on leave sailors were involved in the relief operations, ANAVI decided to utilize the funds through them.
Post the deluge, Kerala was in need of 3 R’s – Rescue, Relief & Rehabilitation and Reconstruction to return to normal lifestyle. Anglo Eastern staff has been at the forefront, right from the onset of the calamity, to help the flood victims. Whether it was the rescue operations in the initial stage or relief & rehabilitation later, our staff has been working on the ground in coordination with various teams, to reach out to the needy.
Rescue: As flood water started rising and thousands got stranded at their homes, our staff went along with rescue teams across the state, a special note goes to Sam Sebastian (AE Kochi office), who along with his friends, saved more than 200 people who got stranded in the Varapuzha town near Kochi, using a small motor boat. Our Ex Master Capt Sunil Balagopal alongwith our 2nd Officer Arun Gopinathan (Ex-Green Galaxy) and few sailors and friends were directly involved in procuring the materials for rescue camps. Capt. Aneesh Abdul Aziz, who was at the helm of activities in and around Kochi, was felicitated by Kochi Sailors Association, for the vital role he played in rescue operations.
Relief: Initial requirements when people got transferred to relief camps were food, clothes and medicines. Mr.Vineeth Pamban (AE- Chennai), arranged one truck of the essentials to be distributed in relief camps. Others like Capt. Sasindran, 3rd Engineers – Deepak Raj & Vipin Balachandran joined hands with local groups to arrange relief materials. They were running common kitchen and distributing collected rations & packed items to affected people. Second truck sent from Chennai full of cleaning materials and clothes on 21st August to Palghat where the relief operations were directed by our ex AE Capt. Sunil Balagopal and our sailing 2/O Arun Gopinathan. From 22nd August onwards Anglo team, including our sailing staff/GMEs/Cadets started cleaning operations with the assistance of local college students in Aluva and Chengannur areas. Our C/E Gangaprasad (Ex-Green Galaxy) procured materials from Bangalore and reached Aluva on 23rd August.
Rehabilitation & Reconstruction: Anglo Eastern 3/E Vipin Balachandran (Ex ORE MOATIZE) formed an Anglo technical team under the guidance of Vineeth OP- AE Chennai, Mahesh Subramanian (Vice Principal- AEMA), Vijayan (AE- Cochin) and Capt. Anoop Jose, Mr. Fancis Akkara and Capt. Balram Menon from AEMTC- Mumbai. From 22nd August onwards Anglo team started cleaning operations with the assistance of local college students in Aluva and Chenganoor areas. Mean time they were attending many call based repairs to assist friends of mariners. Kerala electricity board requested our technical assistance to inspect the houses for electrical continuity and give them certificate to start the electric power. Cleaned houses were inspected by our teams daily and made necessary repairs to start the power.
With the fund raised by AEMTC- Mumbai through Kiran medicure, we could support 70 families with the help of LIA NGO from Cochin (The Master Charities) and with the assistance of Mother Superior general, St. Joseph’s Provincialate, Cochin for the distribution of essential kitchen utensils kits.
* On 24th Sept – Mr. Vijayan and team distributed Kitchen kits to 76 families in Aluva Paravur area. All the affected families were called to one location in Cochin for the distribution of the kits containing kitchen utensils, pressure cookers, mixer grinder or gas stove. Capt Sasindran, Capt Aneesh, 3/E Vipin, Ashok Shenoy (our 3/Off- Ex ATLANTIC SYMPHONY), Deepak Shenoy (our 2/ Off- Ex AM TUBARAO) and a local volunteer worked throughout to complete this project successfully.
* On 25th Sept – Capt. Sasindran distributed water filters sponsored by ANAVI to 165 families in Thrissur in coordination by Mr.Vineeth O P with Mariners club Thrissur.
* On 03rd Oct – Government Upper Primary School at Kumarakom run classes from grade 5 to 7 with a total of 71 students. All students hail from lower middle class family. The school staff has one Head Master and five teachers. School had 7 computers which they lost all computers during the flood. Students lost access to computer. ANAVI gave them 5 computers we have brought the school back to main stream. Our gift will benefit the school and students for years to come. Children, teachers and parents praised Anglo Eastern profusely for the generous help extended to them.
* On 17th Oct – ANAVI distributed Flood Relief Kit to 93 families at Kuttanadu. List of items distributed were mixer/ grinder, LPG Gas Stove, 1/2 HP mono-block pump set, pressure cooker and kitchen utensils. ANAVI covered seven panchayats in Kuttanadu, which was the worst affected area during the flood. Local Seva Bharathi volunteers helped us gather families together at Ramankari Community Hall and helped us in distributing the items to them. Capt. Sasindran, 3/E Pretton Peter (Our 3rd Engineer- Ex RYA RAD) and 3RD Officer Ashok Shenoy assisted us.
Our El/ Off Gopakumar Koroth (Ex Delphis Bothnia) worked tirelessly in assisting tribal community in the remote region of Wayanad where no proper access or roads are existing after the floods & landslides. He managed to distribute furniture including cots and metallic shelves to about 50 families in Wayanad district which was sponsored by ANAVI. Our El/ Off Sivan (Ex. Teno) and AB Byju assisted in Wayanad operations.
* On 07th Nov – The flood victims & poor people of Palakkad district received helping aid from India’s largest shipping employer Anglo eastern and ANAVI . Material distribution was organized and about 36 families were given helping hand with various household items including almirah, table, chairs, mattresses, mats, bedsheets, blankets, pillows, water filters, sewing machines, ceiling fans, kitchen utensils, pressure cookers, emergency lights, led bulbs, iron box, wet grinder, student kits etc.
All the recipients expressed their gratitude with special thanks to ANAVI for this humanitarian cause. We could see joyful tears from the eyes of the poor during the event. Capt. Sunil Balagopal , CE- Krishna Kumar, Arun Gopinathan with his mother Smt Usha Gopinathan graced the function.
This noble initiative gives immense satisfaction to AESM as a group, mainly because of our enthusiastic sea staff, and we thank them for making “Anglo Eastern & ANAVI Initiative to rebuild Kerala” a successful mission. The rehabilitation work is still going on …!
“ANAVI is extremely grateful to all our donors, supporters & well-wishers. All the proceeds from your generous and valuable donations are used for life changing mission. We couldn’t have done it without you. Our mission continues because of your generosity”
AESM management initiated fund raising to assist the reconstruction of the state. Capt. Vinay Singh appealed to all ship staff to generously contribute towards the noble cause. Mr. Maneesh Pradhan & Mr. Francis Akkara coordinated the fund management of ANAVI & Kiran Medicure, with the teams on-site. Mr. Venus Venugopal (Hong Kong office) and Mr. Prem Allencherry (Singapore office) coordinated in management office. Since many of our AE on leave sailors were involved in the relief operations, ANAVI decided to utilize the funds through them.
Post the deluge, Kerala was in need of 3 R’s – Rescue, Relief & Rehabilitation and Reconstruction to return to normal lifestyle. Anglo Eastern staff has been at the forefront, right from the onset of the calamity, to help the flood victims. Whether it was the rescue operations in the initial stage or relief & rehabilitation later, our staff has been working on the ground in coordination with various teams, to reach out to the needy.
Rescue: As flood water started rising and thousands got stranded at their homes, our staff went along with rescue teams across the state, a special note goes to Sam Sebastian (AE Kochi office), who along with his friends, saved more than 200 people who got stranded in the Varapuzha town near Kochi, using a small motor boat. Our Ex Master Capt Sunil Balagopal alongwith our 2nd Officer Arun Gopinathan (Ex-Green Galaxy) and few sailors and friends were directly involved in procuring the materials for rescue camps. Capt. Aneesh Abdul Aziz, who was at the helm of activities in and around Kochi, was felicitated by Kochi Sailors Association, for the vital role he played in rescue operations.
Relief: Initial requirements when people got transferred to relief camps were food, clothes and medicines. Mr.Vineeth Pamban (AE- Chennai), arranged one truck of the essentials to be distributed in relief camps. Others like Capt. Sasindran, 3rd Engineers – Deepak Raj & Vipin Balachandran joined hands with local groups to arrange relief materials. They were running common kitchen and distributing collected rations & packed items to affected people. Second truck sent from Chennai full of cleaning materials and clothes on 21st August to Palghat where the relief operations were directed by our ex AE Capt. Sunil Balagopal and our sailing 2/O Arun Gopinathan. From 22nd August onwards Anglo team, including our sailing staff/GMEs/Cadets started cleaning operations with the assistance of local college students in Aluva and Chengannur areas. Our C/E Gangaprasad (Ex-Green Galaxy) procured materials from Bangalore and reached Aluva on 23rd August.
Rehabilitation & Reconstruction: Anglo Eastern 3/E Vipin Balachandran (Ex ORE MOATIZE) formed an Anglo technical team under the guidance of Vineeth OP- AE Chennai, Mahesh Subramanian (Vice Principal- AEMA), Vijayan (AE- Cochin) and Capt. Anoop Jose, Mr. Fancis Akkara and Capt. Balram Menon from AEMTC- Mumbai. From 22nd August onwards Anglo team started cleaning operations with the assistance of local college students in Aluva and Chenganoor areas. Mean time they were attending many call based repairs to assist friends of mariners. Kerala electricity board requested our technical assistance to inspect the houses for electrical continuity and give them certificate to start the electric power. Cleaned houses were inspected by our teams daily and made necessary repairs to start the power.
With the fund raised by AEMTC- Mumbai through Kiran medicure, we could support 70 families with the help of LIA NGO from Cochin (The Master Charities) and with the assistance of Mother Superior general, St. Joseph’s Provincialate, Cochin for the distribution of essential kitchen utensils kits.
* On 24th Sept – Mr. Vijayan and team distributed Kitchen kits to 76 families in Aluva Paravur area. All the affected families were called to one location in Cochin for the distribution of the kits containing kitchen utensils, pressure cookers, mixer grinder or gas stove. Capt Sasindran, Capt Aneesh, 3/E Vipin, Ashok Shenoy (our 3/Off- Ex ATLANTIC SYMPHONY), Deepak Shenoy (our 2/ Off- Ex AM TUBARAO) and a local volunteer worked throughout to complete this project successfully.
* On 25th Sept – Capt. Sasindran distributed water filters sponsored by ANAVI to 165 families in Thrissur in coordination by Mr.Vineeth O P with Mariners club Thrissur.
* On 03rd Oct – Government Upper Primary School at Kumarakom run classes from grade 5 to 7 with a total of 71 students. All students hail from lower middle class family. The school staff has one Head Master and five teachers. School had 7 computers which they lost all computers during the flood. Students lost access to computer. ANAVI gave them 5 computers we have brought the school back to main stream. Our gift will benefit the school and students for years to come. Children, teachers and parents praised Anglo Eastern profusely for the generous help extended to them.
* On 17th Oct – ANAVI distributed Flood Relief Kit to 93 families at Kuttanadu. List of items distributed were mixer/ grinder, LPG Gas Stove, 1/2 HP mono-block pump set, pressure cooker and kitchen utensils. ANAVI covered seven panchayats in Kuttanadu, which was the worst affected area during the flood. Local Seva Bharathi volunteers helped us gather families together at Ramankari Community Hall and helped us in distributing the items to them. Capt. Sasindran, 3/E Pretton Peter (Our 3rd Engineer- Ex RYA RAD) and 3RD Officer Ashok Shenoy assisted us.
Our El/ Off Gopakumar Koroth (Ex Delphis Bothnia) worked tirelessly in assisting tribal community in the remote region of Wayanad where no proper access or roads are existing after the floods & landslides. He managed to distribute furniture including cots and metallic shelves to about 50 families in Wayanad district which was sponsored by ANAVI. Our El/ Off Sivan (Ex. Teno) and AB Byju assisted in Wayanad operations.
* On 07th Nov – The flood victims & poor people of Palakkad district received helping aid from India’s largest shipping employer Anglo eastern and ANAVI . Material distribution was organized and about 36 families were given helping hand with various household items including almirah, table, chairs, mattresses, mats, bedsheets, blankets, pillows, water filters, sewing machines, ceiling fans, kitchen utensils, pressure cookers, emergency lights, led bulbs, iron box, wet grinder, student kits etc.
All the recipients expressed their gratitude with special thanks to ANAVI for this humanitarian cause. We could see joyful tears from the eyes of the poor during the event. Capt. Sunil Balagopal , CE- Krishna Kumar, Arun Gopinathan with his mother Smt Usha Gopinathan graced the function.
This noble initiative gives immense satisfaction to AESM as a group, mainly because of our enthusiastic sea staff, and we thank them for making “Anglo Eastern & ANAVI Initiative to rebuild Kerala” a successful mission. The rehabilitation work is still going on …!
“ANAVI is extremely grateful to all our donors, supporters & well-wishers. All the proceeds from your generous and valuable donations are used for life changing mission. We couldn’t have done it without you. Our mission continues because of your generosity”
