22nd of July 2021 marked a black day in the lives of residents of Mahad. It was no less than a nightmare when the rivers Savitri and Gandhari flooded the town of Mahad and its vicinity inundating homes, offices, temples and churches, schools and shops up to 10-15 feet. People went on to call it one of the worst natural disasters they ever witnessed; Whether it was or wasn’t a man-made disaster can be a subject of discussion and disagreement but what we can all agree on is the display of humanity post the calamity. Help poured in from all regions and sections of the society from the very next day up until last week. People’s houses were in a state of disarray, people were dismayed but with all the help pouring in their faith in humanity was restored and hopes reignited, because losing all hope is worse than any disaster or calamity.
Many among our staff, parents and well-wishers were hit hard by the calamity. When we visited their homes and witnessed their plight we knew that had to extend more than just moral support. With great help pouring in from all sides we knew we could play our little role in helping our society, rebuild and restore. When we reached out to the affected people a common concern we noticed was lack of bedding material, since the floods had washed away everything some families did not even have a single bed sheet to lie down. It was then decided by our chairman D’souza sir to provide around a 1000 affected families with essentials like mats (chattai), bed sheets and blankets and efforts were made accordingly. Within a week 1000 bed sheets, mats and blankets were ordered from Surat / Solapur. Now the real deal was distribution of the relief material amongst those affected. We had to ensure that our help reached those who needed it the most hence we made teams from among our teachers who surveyed the regions badly hit and made a list of the most distressed families especially from the low-lying areas. The relief material was sorted and packed by our own teachers who had forgotten their own grievances and had set out to help others in need. Our teachers set themselves as true example of the quote: “We make a living from what we get but we make a life from what we give.” In our bid to help we may not have been able to reach out to all those who were devastated but our little contribution has definitely enabled them to fight this situation better.
For our institution has always stood and will continue to stand by those who are most in need because reaching out to the ones in trouble and distress is the motor driving us towards fulfillment. This disaster certainly showed us two sides of man, one where his own carelessness or greed can land him in such tragedy and other where we reach out for one another; such instances are symbolic of our deep respect for humanity.