It happened without warning, in the middle of the night—a landslide of such horrendous force that it knocked an entire village from its hillside perch and swept it away in a muddy river of fury. Immediately, our Salesian missionaries in the affected area of Kerala, India rushed into the wake of disaster.

Nearly 22 inches of rain had pummeled the area in the two days prior to the July 30th disaster, which hampered official rescue efforts. Local rivers—swollen under the pressure of ongoing torrential rains—carried homes, trees, boulders and other uprooted debris into the path of emergency vehicles. Downed internet and communications lines further cut off aid from survivors.

Thankfully, the fast-thinking Salesian-led humanitarian response team, joined by students from nearby Don Bosco College Sulthan Bathery, had a significant impact on the lives of these people.

“Because they live and work among the children and families they serve, our missionaries in Kerala are well positioned to assist during crises like this,” says Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “It is essential to meet the victims’ immediate needs and offer continuous support … then the hard work of rebuilding will begin.”

Initially, seven students and four teachers set out to deliver vital supplies including clean drinking water, personal hygiene items, dry clothing, and more. Today, those efforts have expanded to include over 200 youth and faculty volunteers spread across dozens of temporary relief camps. Students enrolled in the college’s undergraduate and graduate psychology programs are also traveling door-to-door to offer much-needed trauma counseling. At the time of this writing, nearly 400 people perished in the disaster, and as many as 150 remained missing, according to local reports. Those left behind face daunting obstacles in their recovery that our Salesian family is committed to helping them overcome, including long-term reconstruction efforts.

“The college has already assembled teams for cleaning up debris and for reconstruction wherever needed,” reports one of our missionaries at Don Bosco Sulthan Bathery. “The situation remains dire as rescue teams grapple with the scale of the destruction. But our students are steadfast in their mission to bring aid and restore hope to their fellow residents.”

This is one of so many reasons why we are grateful for the kind support of friends like you, whose generosity fuels Salesian-led disaster recovery efforts around the world.

Learn more about our work in India.

Our mission helps provide immediate humanitarian aid and ongoing assistance for the victims of disaster. We help rebuild lives, livelihoods and hope. What’s your mission?