Wayanad (Kerala) | A year ago, a landslide tore through scenic Mundakkai-Chooralmala villages of Kerala's Wayanad district, taking homes, families and their future in seconds.
Among those left behind was a 15-year-old boy who lost both his parents.
"I know everything now," he said.
"Many people we have never met have prayed for us and helped us. The government has stood by us. I want to tell them we are fine, and that we are grateful. What we lost will never come back-- but we are dreaming of a new life," the boy said.
July 30 marks the first anniversary of the Mundakkai–Chooralmala disaster. Survivors -- especially children -- are slowly finding their footing again.
New houses are being built, schools have welcomed them back, and, with help from relatives, the state and strangers, life is starting to take shape once more.
In the rehabilitation township at Kalpetta Elston Estate, they are weaving new hopes with new homes and a fresh start in life.
In the disaster, seven children lost both their mother and father overnight.
Two of them were only a few months away from turning 18 at the time. They have now reached adulthood.
The remaining five children have been under the Kinship Foster Care scheme for a year, staying with close relatives.
According to officials from the Wayanad District Child Protection Unit, who speak to them over the phone every week and visit them in person every month, all five are doing well.
"All five of them are doing well. They are between 5 and 16 years old, and all of them attend school. They are living with close relatives such as uncles, aunts, or similar family members. Not yet being old enough to fully grasp the extent of the loss caused by the disaster has, in a way, been a blessing for them. They have adapted fairly quickly," said Wayanad District Child Protection Officer Karthika Anna Thomas.
Three of the five are girls. The youngest among them, a five-year-old girl, found joy in her relative's home after her mother's sister recently gave birth. Immersed in the baby's gaze, smile, and sounds, she has managed to overcome her sorrow.
Another eight-year-old girl lives in a relative's home with three other children, whose playful chatter and laughter have brought colour back into her life.
Among the two who reached adulthood, the entire cost of one student's degree education is being borne by the management of Don Bosco College, Sultan Bathery.
The other is studying in Class 11 in Kozhikode district. Having dropped out earlier, the student resumed studies after the disaster. Except for this student, all others remain in Wayanad.
The landslide also claimed the lives of the fathers of 11 more children and the mothers of three others.
Those who lost their fathers now live with their mothers, and those who lost their mothers live with their fathers-- including a two-month-old baby who lost her father.
Among these 14 children, two are from Tamil Nadu. The Child Protection Unit continues to closely monitor their mental health, recreation, education, and extracurricular activities.
"Special instructions have been given to the counsellors in the schools these children attend. However, outreach workers from the District Child Protection Unit note that during special occasions such as birthdays, Vishu, and Eid, the children often feel sorrow as they remember their lost parents," an official release said here on Tuesday.
The most difficult task was telling the children about the disaster.
Relatives say the hardest part was breaking the news no child ever wants to hear --that their mother and father are no longer in this world.
"The child was in the hospital after being injured in the disaster. Months later, when she was discharged and brought to my home, she asked why she wasn't going back to her own house. She asked where her father, mother, and younger brother were. Not knowing how to tell her that they had died, I broke down and cried," recalled one relative.
Many sought the help of the Child Protection Department to convey the news. Following the department's guidance, they gradually told the children each part of the truth.
"First, we told the child that their house had been washed away in the landslide. Weeks later, we mentioned that neighbours had been swept away too. Only after the child slowly adjusted to that reality did we tell her about her mother. By then, she had begun interacting with other children in the household and was slowly returning to happiness," explained another relative.
For many of the children, new homes are being built in the state government's rehabilitation township.
Some children, for whom other organisations have assured houses, have received Rs 15 lakh promised by the state government.
The government has also provided financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to those who lost both parents, and Rs 5 lakh to those who lost one parent. This amount has been placed in a fixed deposit in a joint account under the names of the child and the District Child Protection Officer, and they receive the interest from it.
Nineteen children are receiving Rs 4,000 per month under the Central Government's sponsorship scheme.
In addition, six children who lost both parents have received a total of Rs 31.24 lakh from private organisations and individuals, channeled through the state government.
