Project Vision handed over three houses for the flood affected families in Wayanad, Kerala, India on Sunday. The keys for the houses were handed over to the families in the presence of Fr Peter D’Souza, the Vice Provincial of the Claretians of Bangalore in the respective places.

Project Vision an initiative of the Claretian Fathers of Bangalore Province has been working in Wayanad since the last August floods in Kerala. The floods had killed about 500 people and destroyed 16,000 houses across the State. Project Vision immediately sprang into action with relief activities providing food, clothes and drinking water. Three hundred temporary shelters were made for those families who lost their houses, mostly for the tribal population in Wayanad.

Presently 25 houses are being constructed for their total rehabilitation. The houses were given to three families with special needs. People with disabilities, families where the widows and the elderly were chosen for housing program by Project Vision. While Joby is a person with disability, Sebastian is a 93 old person. Only the houses which are not covered under the government schemes for housing are taken up under the program.

Each house is 500 square feet size with two bed rooms, a hall, kitchen and toilet with reinforced cement concrete roof. Each house cost 500,000 rupees (approximately 6250 euros). It is constructed in the land belonging to the victims of the flood. It has taken about six months time to complete the houses.

The housing program by Project Vision is supported by various religious and lay organisations, including corporates. Fifteen houses are supported by the Muthoot Group, a financial company. Three houses are financially helped by Focolore movement based in Italy. One houses is sponsored by Kerala Club, Detroit.

The first house handed over was for Santhosh and Suma whose house completely got burnt in the lighting during the floods. It was rebuilt by the Schoenstat Fathers under Fr Joy who personally raised the funds for the house. The Brothers personally stayed at the location to rebuild the house. The Cluny Sisters from three Provinces worked on creating 60 temporary shelters for the flood affected and contributed funds for the same.

Claretian Students spent a week during their holidays to work on the shelters.

Fr George Kannanthanam who founded Project Vision six years ago to work for the blind and the disaster affected, while speaking on the occasion of the handing over of the houses said that the Claretians are committed to doing what is 'urgent, timely and effective' to reach out to the people in the peripheries.