KOCHI:
HDFC Limited handed over the keys of 75 houses to the families affected by the 2018 flood victims in Kerala at a function here.
The event was attended by over 250 people including beneficiary families, NGO partners, HDFC staff members and representatives from Panchayat, District and State Government of Kerala. In the aftermath of the devastating floods that hit Kerala in August 2018, HDFC through its philanthropic initiative H T Parekh Foundation, had undertaken a housing rehabilitation project in certain villages in Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts, which were worst affected during the 2018 floods.
Dr. Vishwas Mehta, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, who attended the function said “I greatly appreciate the efforts of HDFC to make a difference in the lives of these 75 families present here today. I look forward to the continuous support from HDFC for its corporate philanthropic activities for the state of Kerala.”
Speaking on this initiative, Deepak Parekh, Chairman,HDFC Limited said “H T Parekh Foundation’s rebuilding efforts were aimed to support the most marginalised communities through an equitable lens, focusing on single women households, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Our in-house expertise gave us the comparative
advantage to rebuild and closely monitor the construction of disaster resilient homes, ensuring that these families are protected from future disasters”.
In order to effectively target the most distressed families, the H T Parekh Foundation along with the HDFC teams in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram worked with two implementing partners -Ernakulam Social Service Society and Changanacherry Social Service Society, local Panchayat members and the District Administration to select
beneficiaries and avoid duplication of relief efforts. 25 familieswere identified in Ernakulam and 50 families in Alappuzha. The function also commemorated the strength and resilience of the families affected by the 2018 floods and appreciated the efforts of various stakeholders who were instrumental for the successful completion of 75 disaster resilient homes.
Additionally in 2018, HDFC employees across India had also voluntarily contributed one day of their salary towards the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund to support the rebuilding efforts in Kerala.
