How was Prashant's village affected by the cyclone ? How did he take a lead to help the people? What would have been your reaction in such a condition? (Chapter:- Weathering The Storm In Ersama)
The cyclone brought heavy rains and strong winds. As a result, majority of the houses had blown away and only the strong cement houses were spared. Dirty water covered the land as far as the eye could see. Many people lost their lives. There were floating human bodies and bloated animal carcasses all around. Even the strongest of the trees had been uprooted. The scenes were gruesome. Many people lost their relatives and many children had become orphans. There was shortage of food. People were sad and helpless and a pall of gloom had descended on the people all around.
Prashant helped the people of his village first to control himself because he was initially shocked to see the side effects of the cyclone. He decided to intervene as head of his village of him. He organized a group of young and old to pressure the merchant to give rice to the people who lived in the shelter. He was successful in this task. His next task was to organize a team of young volunteers to clean the shelter and treat the wounds of people who had been injured by the cyclone. Prashant also gathered a number of orphaned children and built a polyethylene shelter for them. While the women mobilized to care for them, the men secured food and other essential items for the shelter. When he realized that women were getting too distressed, he persuaded them to start working in NGO food-for-work. He has also organized sporting events for children.
