Together Everyone Achieves More
Chennai Floods, 2015
On December 4th, 2015, torrential floods hit the southern coastal metropolis of Chennai, with the city recording its highest ever rainfall in two decades. 12 hours into the crisis, the government had not been able to provide adequate aid and resources, and time was running out for the people in distress. T.E.A.M decided to mobilize and provide relief to thousands of homeless, missing and injured citizens by seeking support from local volunteers, as the airports had shut down and a significant part of the city was submerged in 3 feet of water. The severely affected suburb of Saidepet was selected as the initial focus of the relief effort, and T.E.A.M sprang into action.
Through social media, T.E.A.M spread awareness, and the initial overwhelming response surpassed even the loftiest expectations. T.E.A.M collected over 25 lakh rupees ($40,000) and used this to deliver over 4000 donation kits, all in just 5 days. 1000 of these were survival kits, consisting of essential provisions for those in extremely dire conditions. 500 kits had been modified for infant support, 1000 were customized for people who were safe but didn’t have access to food, and the remaining 1500 were rehabilitation kits for those who had lost their homes in the downpour.
T.E.A.M was able to impact over 1500 families, and the efforts of the organization helped improve the living conditions of over 7,500 people. When the city’s airport reopened on December 9th, five days after the tragedy, T.E.A.M members were on the first flight to visit them. However, when they arrived in the city, they were forced to contend with the fact that much of the city was still waterlogged, and had to use alternative routes to reach the families they were trying to help. However, these minor inconveniences paled in comparison to the plight of the locals, and ultimately the T.E.A.M members were grateful for the opportunity to have been able to provide a real and immediate impact to thousands of people in the face of a devastating tragedy.
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