They do 'challenges' not for fun and fame but to help people in need.
The Karuthal Uchayoonu Koottayma, a Haripad-based collective, has raised over ₹1.5 crore through 50-odd challenges (fundraising events) in the past four years. The proceeds from the unniyappam challenge, sarbath challenge, banana fry challenge, buttermilk challenge, peanut challenge, carol challenge and birthday challenge, to mention a few, have gone to providing homes to the homeless; financial assistance to patients, students and differently abled persons; conducting marriages; and so on.
Sobha, a widow, her two children and her elderly parents are eagerly awaiting to move to their new home at Chingoli on August 29. The 450-sq ft house was constructed by the Karuthal Uchayoonu Koottayma primarily through a sarbath challenge. "We were living in a shed. After knowing about our sorry state, the Karuthal Uchayoonu Koottayma promised to build a house for us. They first conducted a sarbath challenge and handed over the money to us. They collected the rest of the money and building materials needed through other means," says Sobha who works in a supermarket.
