As Kerala battles the worst flooding it has seen in a century, many Jaipurites have been urging their fellow citizens: “Don’t just pray, do something for Kerala”. And Jaipur has heard that call, with relief efforts surpassing the default responders like NGOs and spreading to citizen groups which include college students and individual volunteers.The situation in Kerala has reached alarming proportions and Jaipurites are leaving no stone unturned to do their bit. A group of young social workers, Being Social-Ek Nayi Shuruat, organised walks in the different areas of the city to raise funds and other important relief materials, informs Sadhvi Negi, Assistant Professor in Jaipur National University.Jaipurites take to the roads to collect funds for KeralaHe says, “Our volunteers, holding placards and banners, walked through different areas of the city like Malviya Nagar, C-Scheme, Tonk Road in groups and asked for donations. They raised funds as well as collected new clothes, food items and medicines. They will be continuing the walks for donation for the next couple of days to get as much help as possible for the people suffering in Kerala. On August 30, 15 of our volunteers will leave for Kerala with all the relief materials and ensure it reaches the people.”College students are also extending their helping hands, like students of a management institute in Jaipur who have started a campaign to raise funds and materials. A management student, Nayana Vijayan Nair, shares with us, “In our college, we have formed a group to collect necessary items and money as well to deposit in the Kerala CM’s relief fund. We have already collected food items and clothes and handed it over to the Malayali Samaj to be sent to Kerala.”Various colleges affiliated to the University of Rajasthan have come forward to support people affected in Kerala. Hemant Mann, state general secretary and a member of Rajasthan Youth Congress, has started a fundraising drive called – ‘Kerala Needs Help’, across all the colleges. “We started this drive on Saturday morning. We have been collecting cheques under the name of ‘Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund’.”Students are doing their bit to help Kerala flood victims “Those who can’t give cheques are donating through e-commerce payment systems. We have collected more than ?50,000 as of now. We are also approaching our faculty members for donation. On Sunday, we went to each and every hostel for donations. It’s high time we come together for this urgent cause and help as much as we can,” says Hemant.Naya Savera, a Jaipur-based NGO has dispatched as many as 4,000 sanitary napkins to women in the flood hit areas of Kerala.Members of this NGO have sent nearly 4,000 sanitary napkins to KeralaAkhil Maheshwari, founder of the NGO says, “On Independence Day, we started our sanitary pads production unit in Jaipur. We have been able to dispatch 4,000 sanitary napkins to the flood affected women of Kerala. In the second consignment, we will double the number and try to send more than 8,000 sanitary napkins. Simultaneously, we are also raising funds so that we could buy raw materials used to make more sanitary napkins.”Individuals are also doing their bit to help the people in flood affected Kerala. Pawan Solanki has been raising funds individually by asking his office colleagues and friends to donate. “I have been able to raise around ?2 lakh till now. The deal is simple – for every rupee being donated, I am matching the donation. So if someone donates ?1, I am donating ?1 as well. My friends from my bikers club, are also contributing and raising money from their friends. Even my company colleagues are asking more and more people to join the group and donate as much as they can. All are donating between ?500 and ?10,000. I am trying to do my best and in December, I, along with my biker friends, will ride down to Kochi and see how the money was spent and we are also planning to volunteer on the ground to help in recovery,” Pawan tells us.On a rainy day, volunteers hit the road at Jawahar Lal Nehru Circle, urging fellow citizens for donations to help the flood-hit people of KeralaAs Kerala remains battered by flood and rains in this festive season, Onam festivities in Rajasthan has been called off, informs Anil, secretary of Kerala Samajam Society in Jaipur. “There are more than 60,000 Malayalis living in Rajasthan and we’ve decided to cancel all Onam celebrations across the state this year, keeping in mind the thousands of lives that have been affected by the floods. It’s not just Onam, we have decided to not have any festivities and celebrations till December. In this hour of need, we will rather use that money and resources for the relief of victims,” he says.

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