Thanal Home, an NGO in Karnataka’s Madikeri has helped to reunite a lost woman with her family in Haryana
While providing refuge, solace and help to homeless, lost and destitute people, the Thanal Home in Madikeri in Karnataka’s Kodagu district, does more for its inmates. Recently, the institution is helping a woman get reunited with her family after a period of four years.
The elderly woman inmate whom Thanal Home is helping is called Darshini. Four years ago, this homeless woman was found by Kushalnagar police station staff lying by the roadside. They contacted the home to provide her shelter as she had nowhere to go.
At the Home she was not only provided refuge and food but also treated for her illness. In the beginning, all she could disclose was that she was from Haryana. Over a period of time, as the treatment started have its effect, she was able to recollect that she was from a place called Rohtak in Haryana.
Darshini at Thanal Home
With this information Mohammed, the head of the Kodagu Thanal Home, got in touch with the Rohtak police station. When her photographs and videos were circulated, the police informed the Home that they should get in touch with Sonipat police.
At Sonipat it was found that Darshini’s details and identity matched with that of a person who was registered as missing. It was revealed that she had many family members and relatives, all of whom were eager to meet her. Her husband and some others of the family are reaching Madikeri to take her.
This is not just a singular instance of Thanal helping to reunite elderly people with their families.
source: http://www.indianarrative.com / India Narrative / Home> Culture / by India Narrative Bureau / December 31st, 2022
Excitement building among fans at Gaddehalla and Kadanga as FIFA Qatar World Cup begins today
Kushalnagar:
With the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup beginning today, the world is set again after a gap of four years to witness the biggest and the most celebrated football festival and the game fever has reached every nook and corner of the globe. The FIFA World Cup will kick off in Qatar tonight (9.30 pm) with 32 teams battling for the highest honour in the month-long international football.
While the football mania has taken the neighbouring Kerala by storm where the game is close to the hearts of the people with hundreds of clubs at small and remote villages, the hill station of Kodagu too is gaining attention with a group of football lovers from remote village of Gaddehalla erecting huge cut-outs of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. in the village, attracting attention.
The cut-outs of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner (annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956) Messi from Argentina, Portuguese legend Ronaldo and Brazil star Neymar Jr. have been erected at Gandhi Circle at Gaddehalla. While Neymar’s cut-out is 15-ft, Ronaldo’s cut-out stands tall with 30-ft in height and Messi’s cut-out too stands tall with a height of 35 to 40 feet.
Cut-out at Kadanga too
Soon after youths of Gaddehalla near Suntikoppa erected the cut-outs of their idols, youths of Kadanga, another village in Kodagu erected a 30-ft cut-out of Ronaldo near the Kadanga Bus Stand Circle. Meanwhile, the Messi Fans Association in the village too are giving a final shape to the cut-out of Lionel Messi and it will be up when the World Cup begins. One more cut-out of Messi has been set up at Suntikoppa town.
Neymar Jr. will be playing in his third World Cup and Brazil is considered one of the favourites to win the tournament. This is his best chance to come out of the shadows of his two superstar peers — Messi and Ronaldo.
“We, the members of CR7 Fans, decided to erect the cut-outs of the three legends due to the attention they are receiving. Moreover, there has been so much talk about Messi and Ronaldo who are likely playing in the World Cup for the last time. Their memories will be cherished for a long time and it is our way of honouring them,” Zayid Abbas of Amity United Football Club and a die-hard fan of Ronaldo told Star of Mysore.
R-Day Tournament
Amity United Football Club was established seven years back and the club has 40 members between the age group of 15 to 35. “We are one among the 23 registered Football Clubs in Kodagu and apart from playing regularly in our own village and in the district against other clubs, we also travel to Kerala for tournaments,” he added.
Of the seven years, the club members just played tournaments for two years and in the last five years, they have been organising tournaments for Republic Day. “In 2023, we are organising a three-day tournament on Jan. 24, 25 and 26 and it will be floodlit football. We are aiming big and we are working out plans,” Zayid Abbas said.
Players of Amity United Football Club, Gaddehalla in Kodagu. The Club has 40 members.
60 trophies to their credit
Players from Amity United Football Club have won over 60 trophies in matches held at various places. “Unfortunately, we have received no encouragement either from the Government Sports Department, District Administration or the Sports Authority. We do not even have a proper ground to play. In fact, there is no football ground for that matter in Kodagu,” he regretted.
“Kodagu has over 23 registered Football Clubs and in each club, there will be a couple of good players and we can easily have more than 100 best players who can compete in State or National level Tournaments. The best among the best can represent India internationally. It is stifling and painful to see the neglect. The focus seems to be only on cricket while other sports are brushed aside,” he added.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News Top Stories / November 20th, 2022
Shahib Somwarpet Amir son of Ameer Konnur Bashir Shab, runs a dry fruit shop and represented India as a Vice Captain in Socca World Cup 2022, held in Hungry, Budapest.
Shahib hails from Karnataka and is 27 years old. Born in Kodagu, Bangalore, Shahib comes from a middle-class family. His father is a small businessman and his mother, Noorjan Somwarpet Ameer is a homemaker. Shahib has one brother and two sisters. Shahib is 5.4 ft tall.
Shahib started his football career with Kodagu League and is currently playing for ADE football club super division at Karnataka state football association.
Shahib completed his D-license coaching license in the year of 2018 from the all-India football federation and has played several matches so far and has been popularly named Goal Machine.
Some of his list of matches include the Karnataka state team in the 49th junior national championship Dr.B.C.Roy Trophy as a defender and secured one score.
Played for Pre-University State-Level Football Tournament in Belgaum as an attacking midfielder and secured 8 scores.
Played State Level Under 17 Football Championship at Bijapur as a captain.
Represented Mangalore University Football team at the University of Calicut and Kerala as a Midfielder.
Represented Bangalore University football team at Pondicherry.
Played Karnataka state PYKKA football championship held at Tumkur ( Karnataka ) in 2010 as a vice-captain. Represented Karnataka state football team in all India Sub Junior Football Championship as a captain at Chandigarh.
Played for the postal department football club at A division in the year at Karnataka state football association as a Striker. Played for the postal department football club at A division in the year 2019 and 2020 at Karnataka state football association.
Represented the super division team Madaam FC at Gujarat State Football Association as a midfielder.
Represented India at an Indo-Nepal international friendly match under Indian Sports Federation in the year 2021 as a captain.
Represented KV Sports India at SIAM FC International Week Trails and International Tournament Football Championship in Bangkok ( Thailand ) as a captain.
Talking about his recent tour in Budapest Shahib says, “Football is not just a sport it is like emotion for me. I feel blessed that I could participate in Socca World Cup 2022. I will be forever thankful to Mr. Kartik Vashist, who guided me to fulfill my dreams. I dedicate my achievements to my family and God. Having said that, I worked hard to reach where I am today and would continue to do so. I wish to stay fit for a longer period and play for India. This year my focus will be to play ISL as it would be helpful for young players like us to achieve our goals”
Shahib’s message for all the young talent trying their luck in football is to stay fit, work hard and above all believe in god, respect your parents, and keep patients. Shahib is a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Fayis Ashraf Ali, who is currently in the Emirates for a pit stop, says one of his biggest dreams is to meet his hero Sheikh Hamdan.
Thirty-four-year-old Fayis Ashraf Ali, a hard-core adventurer, has embarked on a big solo mission: To travel around 35 countries in 450 days — on a bicycle.
From the south Indian state of Kerala, Ali is biking his way to London to cover 30,000km. After departing Thiruvananthapuram on August 15 — where state Education Minister V Sivankutty flagged off his journey — he arrived in the UAE via Oman on September 27.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Ali said he entered the UAE through Ras Al Khaimah and cycled through Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to arrive in Ajman.
“I will cycle to Sharjah, spend some time there attending events and then head on to Dubai and Abu Dhabi before crossing into Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The cyclist plans to spend 24 days in the Emirates, the third destination on his list. Here’s a photo of him in Khor Fakkan.
Hoping to meet his hero Sheikh Hamdan
In the UAE, Ali has only one hope – to meet the Dubai Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“He is my hero. I draw so much inspiration from his adventurous personality. I sincerely hope to meet him before I depart for Saudi Arabia,” he said.
After his UAE pit stop, he will be moving to Saudi Arabia, where he will cycle across the country for two months.
“I hope to go to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina, and visit every place in Saudi Arabia, where I worked for four years with Wipro before leaving my job,” said Ali, an electrical engineer who has kept aside his professional goal to cycle worldwide.
From Saudi Arabia, he will travel to Qatar, and Bahrain, return to Saudi Arabia then head to Kuwait.
“From there. I will go to Iraq, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey and enter Europe through Greece. I plan to ride across 22 countries in Europe and hope to reach London in 2023,” he said.
This is not Ali’s first long journey on his bicycle. In 2019, he cycled from Kozhikode to Singapore in 104 days, covering more than 8,000km. He pedalled through Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia during that time.
No support crew, no hotel bookings
Going on this adventure — without any support crew — is not a spur-of-the-moment decision for the cyclist. In fact, it took him over a year and a half to plan the solo journey.
“I am travelling alone as this is being done on a budget. I am staying with people I meet during my travels. I have not booked rooms in hotels or lodges,” said Ali.
For example, in Khor Fakkan, Ali stayed with some cafeteria workers across the police station.
“I coincidentally went into the cafeteria to eat some food and told them about my journey. They invited me to stay with them for the night,” he said. “Since I am a Rotary Club member, I stayed in some of the club locations in India. I am hoping to find similar support in Europe. If not, I will sleep in a tent, a mosque, or whichever place that will have me for the night,” he said.
The Rotary Club, Norka-Roots, Malayalam Mission, Kerala Tourism and the Kerala Hearts Foundation are supporting the endeavour.
He rides on a Surly Disk Trucker Cycle, sponsored by UAE-based travel and luggage accessories company ParaJohn. Dubai- based Emirates First is also lending some financial assistance to him.
On his bicycle, he carries four bags filled with clothes, a battery pack, dried fruits, tools, and a GPS tracker. He rides only in the mornings.
What inspired Ali to take up this adventure?
Ali left his job as a networking engineer in 2016 to take care of his father who was suffering from a cardiac ailment.
“I got into the habit of cycling around that time. I got my cycle when my father was in the ICU. Unfortunately, a week later, my father died,” said Ali. He believes cycling would strengthen one’s heart.
Ali is cycling to raise awareness about heart health, world peace, health care, zero carbon emission and zero drugs. He is married to dentist Dr Asmin Fayis and a father to two boys, Fahzin Omar and Izin Nahel.
“My wife supports me in every way possible. She is the one who plans my itinerary and posts on social media. She helps me immensely with the paperwork needed for such a journey. She does all this while taking care of our kids and is an assistant professor at the Coorg Institute for Dental Sciences. She is a superwoman,” he said.
Ali says that to make extraordinary achievements, one has to make several sacrifices. “I do not want to go back to work, and I want to achieve something extraordinary before I depart from this world,” he stated.
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> World> UAE / by Dhanusha Gokulam / September 29th, 2022
Syed Hussain and Robert Rodriguez have packed the bodies of all 93 COVID victims in Kodagu and continue to work day and night without any leave since March last year.
Syed Hussain and Robert Rodriguez (Photo | Express)
Madikeri :
“I had not observed Ramzan last year and I won’t be able to take part in the festivities this year too. Work occupies a major part of my life now and my job has forced me to stay away from my family and friends,” said Syed Hussain, a forensic department staffer of Madikeri District Hospital, who is involved in packing the bodies of COVID-19 victims.-
Syed joined the forensic department staff in the hospital nearly four years ago and there were moments when he questioned his career choice. “There were times when we had to conduct a postmortem of fetuses and it was heart-wrenching to carry out the job. But it was my duty,” he recalled. Syed, however, stuck to his choice and today he has offered exceptional service as a frontline COVID warrior.
Syed and Robert Rodriguez (the only other staffer in the forensic department) have packed all the 93 bodies of COVID-19 victims of Kodagu and continue to work day and night without any leave since March last year. “We have stayed away from our family since last year. It’s painful not to be a part of the festivities. But we do not want to risk others’ lives. I, however, visited my family last week. It was a short visit and I went to collect a few belongings,” said Syed.
He noted how it is stressful to always work wearing PPE kits and added that all healthcare workers including D-Group employees are working under stress to ensure the safety of citizens. “We have to do away with food and sometimes even drinking water as we are always wearing PPE kits,” he explained. He added that the government has not made new appointments to the district hospital and the existing staff is working under stress. “We do not get incentives for working overtime. Yet, we cannot demand things at this time of crisis and we go about doing our job,” he said.
He spoke out against publicity-seekers on social media and said, “We are working 24/7 under stress. Yet, some people shoot videos inside the hospital and make false allegations against healthcare workers. We do not expect anything huge in return for our work. The least we can ask from the public is respect. There might be a few loopholes in the hospital. But the public cannot highlight this illogically across social media for a minute’s fame. My only request to the public of Kodagu is – please respect all the healthcare workers. We too have family. But we are working for the greater good.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR / Express News Service / April 27th, 2021
Qatar Indian Social Forum, prominent Indian expatriate community celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr with array of Cultural Programmes representing Rich cultural Heritage of Indian Subcontinent with Skits, Folk songs, Martial arts, traditional Cultural events from different Indian states in different Languages under theme ‘Celebrating Unity in Diversity’.
Welcoming the gathering, Usman general secretary of Social forum, said that the forum would like to uphold a sense of unity among Indians despite the difference in their caste, creed, and religion, and cherish different cultural backgrounds, a land that shows unity in diversity truly reflecting the theme of the evening.
Social forum president Ayyub Ullal launched ‘IndianSocialForum.com’ website, and delivered EID message, hosting these types of gatherings will promote respect for each other’s Cultural Heritage and improve collective commitment towards society at large.
‘Abdul Latheef Madikkeri Memorial Humanitarian Activist Award’ of the year
Chief guest of the Evening Subramanya Hebbagelu, vice president Indian Cultural Center, handed over the ‘Abdul Latheef Madikkeri Memorial Humanitarian Activist Award’ of the year to Basheer Ahamed, leader from Social Forum Tamilnadu, and paid tribute the veteran leader Abdul Latheef Madikeri, who passed away in April last year, in his speech stressed the importance of Serving Humanity.
Vinod Nair, president, Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) congratulated the gathering and handed over medal to Cultural teams including ‘Thullal-Parai’ and ‘Nagam-16’ from Tamilnadu, Kolkali and ‘Daughters of Kerala’ from Kerala, Tippu Sultan Drama from Karnataka, Nasheed from Northern States for their spectacular display.
Fastest Kid
Ayyub Ullal, handed over the ‘Award of Appreciation’ to Muhammed Ameen Bin Thaisser, honoring his achievement to become ‘Fastest Kid to recite’ all Elements of Periodic table.
The meet brought together more than 20 Community Leaders representing various Indian states Organization, attracting more than 500 community members. The programme ended up with a feast for all participants.
Saeed Kommachi, general secretary, proposed the vote of thanks.
www.indiasocialforum.com
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home>Middle East / by Daijiworld Media Network – Doha (EP) / May 06th, 2022 (headline edited)
Well-known social worker Abdul Lathif Madikeri, secretary of Qatar Indian Social Forum (QISF), an association for NRIs, passed away on Sunday April 11.
Abdul Latif was an active social worker who used to respond to all issues faced by non-resident Indians and help to find solutions for them.
He always led from the front when it came to social and humanitarian works and was well-known to all NRIs in Qatar.
He was employed in Qatar Police Force for the past thirty years and has left behind his wife, three sons, a daughter, a large number of friends and relatives.
Qatar Indian Social Forum has condoled his demise, describing that his departure has left a void that cannot be filled. QISF also prayed that the almighty bestows strength to his family to bear the loss.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home /by Daijiworld Media Network – Doha (EP) / April 11th, 2021
While Haji gave the land for the new houses, Lokesh pledged his for an accessible road that can be built towards the plot.
In the face of terrible tragedy, the only glimmer of hope is often people coming together in solidarity and healing each other with love. Placing humanity ahead of religious differences, a Muslim man and his Hindu counterpart from Kodagu district have united to donate over 1.5 acres of agricultural land for the rehabilitation of flood victims.
According to Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy, the recent rains accompanied by flood in the Kodagu region have washed away over 5000 homes in several villages close to the Kaveri river, including Kondangeri.
It was then that 55-year-old Abdulla Haji came forward with an offer to part with 1.5 acres of his 6-acre agricultural land and donate it to the Kondangeri Masjid Committee, so that the government can put it to use.
“When a person sees the people around him suffering so much, it is only natural that he would go and help others. Although I’m a not a rich farmer, I’m in a position to help them. I hope that the bereaved people get some strength from God to overcome their losses and grief,” Haji said.
As per Haji’s proposal, the land is suitable for building permanent houses for the flood victims. But while the Masjid committee was considering the housing proposal, they soon realised that the construction site will face the problem of an inaccessible road.
“But without any hesitation, another Kondangeri resident, Lokesh, approached the Masjid committee and pledged that the Masjid may attach his part of land to the charitable cause and lay down a road towards the residential project,” said Yusuf Haji, President of Kondangeri Muslim Jamath. According to the Masjid authorities, most of the flood victims are labourers who’ve lost whatever little they had.
“Almost all the flood victims whose houses have been destroyed are labourers from coffee plantations. They had to forcibly leave their homes as the water level rose and in the process, they also lost their possession and valuables along with their home,” said Yusuf.
While government authorities are engaged in the rehabilitation process, there is a lack of temporary relief centres built by the government at Kondangeri village. Hundreds of victims, including women and children, irrespective of their religious beliefs, have taken shelter in relief centres at the Kondangeri Masjid while mourning their losses.
“Haji was thoroughly involved in serving the needy at the Masjid when they had started coming to this shelter. We think he was overwhelmed by their losses and felt that it was necessary to look into providing the people with long-term solutions,” Yusuf said.
This duo’s decision was hailed by the local authorities who confided that the district was facing a shortage of land to rehabilitate the victims of floods and landslides.
“There is already an ongoing process undertaken by the district administration to identify government land that has been encroached by a few agriculturists. The process of its recovery will commence. In the meanwhile, the generosity of people like Lokesh and Haji is really commendable,” Assistant Commissioner T Javare Gowda said.
This is not the first time that ordinary people in the flood and landslide prone coffee belt have rushed to help others. Last year, Abdul Latif of Suntikoppa had come forward and donated 2 acres of his estate land for the rehabilitation of victims.
Story by Story Infinity (Subs and Scribes Media Ventures LLP.)
source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> News> Karnataka Rains 2019 / by Mubarak / August 20th, 2019
From pre-wedding shoots to the selection of bridal outfits, the stress, especially on the bride-to-be, is tremendous.
Shaharabanu shows one of the many bridal outfits which is available at The Rainbow Free Bridal Boutique, opened just weeks ago | Express
Madikeri :
From pre-wedding shoots to the selection of bridal outfits, the stress, especially on the bride-to-be, is tremendous. It is the day when she hopes to look her most beautiful.
However, not every bride can afford a dream wedding, and many young women are forced to stick to simple and inexpensive wear. The Rainbow Free Bridal Boutique in Kodagu is taking these weddings up by a notch. Established by Shaharabanu (20), the Free Bridal Boutique is just weeks old, and operates from the rural part of Chettalli in Madikeri taluk.
Shaharabanu, who quit studies after completing PU examinations last year, is a YouTuber, and had also worked as a beautician for some time. The strong calling to do charity work has manifested itself in the form of this boutique.
“I always looked forward to doing charity work, but my family is not very well-to-do. Financial hurdles are many. However, a unique initiative has been started by one of my friends in Kerala, which led to the establishment of the Rainbow Free Bridal Boutique, a first of its kind in Karnataka,” explained Shaharabanu.
So, what is so unique about this boutique? It provides free bridal dresses to brides from economically weaker sections of society. “Weddings are very special to girls, and almost every girl dreams of wearing a special outfit on that day. However, many cannot afford these bridal outfits, and hence, I started a boutique to collect bridal clothes from women from rich families,” she explained.
She laid out her plan on social media platforms and received positive feedback and support. Responding to her social media post, many women donated their wedding attire, like sarees which they had worn for their own nuptials, and fancy outfits from their trousseau.
The clothes were collected and dry cleaned. “I have collected many wedding clothes, some even from my family members. These clothes will be handed over to brides from weaker sections of society, including orphaned girls who are unable to afford wedding clothes,” she said.
“Our generation is very active on social media and we often make new friends virtually. A WhatsApp group of like-minded girls who were on Instagram was created almost a year ago. In the group, one of the girls, who was poor, requested us to help her out for her wedding,” recalls Shaharabanu.
However, she felt helpless with her family’s meagre earnings, since her parents, Ameena and Maanu from Chettalli, are daily wage workers. Despite the impediments, the girls managed to collect funds and bought their friend a new bridal outfit, she added.
Following the incident, she realised that many girls face this challenge before their wedding, which the girls discussed in the group. That is when one of the girls from Kerala informed her about a boutique that donates bridal dresses to girls from poor families. “This boutique was started by a Kannur resident, Sabeeda, and I contacted her for support. Initially, when everyone was reluctant to donate their bridal wear to my boutique, Sabeeda helped me and brought many dresses all the way from Kannur to Chettalli,” she recalled.
When dresses were donated to a couple of poor girls, residents from Madikeri and Virajpet came forward and donated their bridal outfits. “My house is small. I had to make space to keep the dresses without damaging them. I bought a shelf for this purpose which is in my mother’s room, where the dresses are kept neatly,” she said. “It has been just 15 days since I started the boutique. There is no bar on religion or community of the brides. They can book the service and visit my place in Chettalli to select the dresses they want from what’s available. They can keep the outfits for themselves. This service is for those brides across the state who are battling economic hardship,” she said.
To ensure that the dresses reach the needy, she asks the beneficiary to submit a letter from the religious committees concerned, about the family’s financial situation. In just two weeks, more than 40 brides from across the state contacted the boutique, and Shaharabanu is working towards making their weddings special. “I ask the girls to visit my place 20 days prior to the wedding day. Their happy faces when they find the right bridal dress give me immense pleasure and satisfaction,” she added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News/ by Prajna GR, Express News Service / April 24th, 2022
