Kerala: The story of Omana and Shanmukhan will leave you in tears

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Jan 24, 2024, 12:02 PM IST

An elderly couple from Palakkad district, Omana and Shamukhan are in severe distress as they live a poor life at a makeshift house. Omana's husband is partially paralysed.

Omana and Shanmukhan, from Puthupariyaram, Palakkad, are poor people who now live in a makeshift shed after their whole house collapsed due to wind and rain. Omana is having difficulty feeding her sick husband three times a day. They have an extended wait despite being a part of the LIFE Mission. There was happiness in the house when Omana got married and came to her husband's place. On six cents of land, Omana and Shanmukha built a house through wage labour and housework.

However, tragedy hit them when the house collapsed in the rain two years ago. Omana and her partially paralysed husband went to the neighbours' houses that night to seek refuge. They later moved into a shed with one room. During summer, the sheet of the makeshift house gets heated up and they are forced to move out into the courtyard.

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A request has been submitted for a home through the LIFE programme. The current spot on the list is 162nd. Since the loan repayment on which the house's foundation is mortgaged has ceased, the bank is prepared to foreclose.

The Livelihood Inclusion Financial Empowerment Mission, or the LIFE Mission Kerala, aims to build free houses for all homeless people in the State. The scheme is being implemented in stages and will provide a comprehensive shelter strategy for all landless and homeless people.

Those who wish to help the poor elderly couple can reach out to them through the following bank details:

Omana T,
UCO Bank,
Puthupariyaram, Palakkad
A/C No: 33290110049440
IFSC No: UCBA0003329

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