Tribal couple get house through women power

While the eyes of the couple turned moist, their five mentally challenged daughters stood at a corner, clueless as to what was going on. The Stree Shakti and Self Help Group members had built a new house of Ramaiah couple at Hattikadalu near Heradike in Kalasa Gram Panchayat.

On Tuesday the house was handed over to the couple and a simple house warming ceremony was also held. But the traditional ceremony, which is called ‘madilu thumbuvudu’, where the couple are honoured with various things like rice, coconut, beetle nuts etc was the highlight. Every participant was left dumb struck during the ceremony.

Ramaiah is known as ‘Kambali Ajja’ in Hattikadalu area. He is 90-years-old. Five daughters are dependent on him and he is dependent on one acre paddy field. He was dwelling in a hadi located about 12 kms away from Kalasa. Cut off from outside world, Ramaiah had knit a world of his own, struggling to settle down with his problems.

In 2009, the Stree Shakti Organisation and SHGs thought of helping Ramaiah and on last August 15, the volunteers from these organisations prepared a site for constructing a house of Ramaiah through ‘shramadana’. Joining them in the novel cause, Kalasa GP sanctioned a Ashraya site for the purpose. In later days, the organisations led by Usha dedicated themselves into the work of constructing house for ‘Kambali Ajja’ with all dedication and sincerity. Every Sunday the volunteers were seen working, completing stages of the house.

Whenever the groups encountered financial crunch, like-minded people came forth to help. Fighting all odds the volunteers finally succeeded in bringing a smile on the face of this old tribal couple and hundreds of people witnessed the fruit of the hard work of the women’s organisation on Tuesday when the ‘grihapravesha’ of the house was held. Kudos to people’s initiative.