Although there has been a considerable decline in Coronavirus cases with rapid vaccination drives across the country, India is left in shreds since March 2020 with the advent of the pandemic. In this dark period, some good samaritans have made the world a better place.
Of them is a group of youths in Assam’s hill district Dima Hasao who have come forward and started a unique initiative called ‘The Blessing Hut‘ with the intent to help people in need.
Clarifying their motto, ‘Take what you need, leave what you can‘ is what they have written on the hut’s doors located at Natun Leikul village, about 11 km away from Dima Hasao district headquarters Haflong. The idea is that nobody remains hungry, and people’s dignity is protected as they don’t have to beg.
Natun Leikul Youth Club started the initiative. Anyone can leave their farm surplus, food, essential commodities, stationery items, books, and clothes so that people who can’t afford these items can collect them from the hut.
One day in May, Natun Leikul Youth Club secretary Lalngam Hengna brought a bunch of bananas while returning from his farm and left it near the village community hall. He then took a photo of it and shared it in the village Whatsapp group, saying anybody who needs could collect them from here free of cost.
This gesture received a lot of appreciation. Inspired by the action, the other members thought of building a platform where anyone can leave their surplus food, essential commodities, stationery items, books, etc. Almost everyone welcomed this suggestion, and one member, Lienna Singson volunteered to donate timbers required to build this hut. Some had also collected funds, and thus the project started and got completed within a week.
The Blessing Hut has now become the most popular among villagers in the area.
Till now, local villagers were donating food, books, clothes, etc. However, with its growing popularity, they are now also receiving calls from other parts of the district who desire to contribute to the cause. Some even come during the night, which shows that people are taking it seriously.
Also, read: Meet The Doctor Who’s Making Sure Nobody Goes To Bed Hungry In Chennai!
Pictures of the hut have been going viral in social media with netizens lauding it.
Blessing Hut in #Assam – a model for every state in #India to follow. https://t.co/85myWlpv2e
— Anirban Roy (@anirban1970) June 3, 2021
With around 400 population, Natun Leikul village was established in 1928. It is dominated by Kuki tribe and is located at the foot of Hampupet peak, locally known as Simit Bung, the second highest peak of Assam.
A mass RAT testing for Covid-19 was conducted in the village by the health department in the second week of May and there were zero recorded positive cases.