People whose lives were devastated by flooding have moved into a new home thanks to the kindness of Cambuslang church goers.
Parishioners of St Bride’s Church raised almost £5000 to build houses for the people of Kerala, which was ravished by floods last August.
Unusually heavy rainfall during the monsoon season in the southern Indian state resulted in the worst flood in almost a century.
Nearly 400 people died and more than one million were displaced from their homes.
As news of the devastation spread, parishioners at St Bride’s came to the aid of their Indian friends.
The church, which has ties with the Kala Keralam organisation and Christian faith groups in the region, organised a series of fundraisers over a three-month period.
Last September, Father Paul Morton handed over £4996.36 to Kala Keralam – a cultural group which was working on the ground following the flood.
And this month parishioners received a video of a family receiving the keys to their new home.
Father Morton said: “There are three houses to be built [using the money raised] and we received the news that one is complete. In the videos we saw Bishop George blessing the house.
“We are happy we could contribute in some way to people getting back to some kind of life after the terrible floods.
“We realise it’s only a small element of what’s needed there but it is what we were able to do.”
He added: “It is a very nice home that they have built. We are delighted with what has been provided.”
The relationship between St Bride’s Parish Church and Kerala began more than 10 years ago when a number of people from the largely Christian state came to Scotland and met local people.
Kerala’s state government has estimated the losses from the flooding will amount to £2.2bn-£2.7bn.
However offers of state aid from the UAE, Qatar and the Maldives were rejected by the Indian Government which stated it could restore the region on its own.
