After their winning streak for the Aizawl FC, footballers Ashutosh Mehta and Jayesh Rane have now joined hands to raise funds for the victims of the devastating flash floods in their adopted state, Mizoram, after the incessant rainfall created havoc in parts of the state.
The continuous rainfall in Mizoram has already claimed close to 20 lives with over 400 houses submerged.
Jayesh Rane and Ashutosh Mehta posted messages on their respective Facebook pages stating that they had started a fundraiser for the people of Mizoram and urged people to share the campaign and contribute to it.
Speaking to Sportskeeda over the phone, Ashutosh said he did not spare a second thought before jumping into action when an NGO approached him.
“We have been here for four months and the love and support we have received from the people has been amazing and we thought it was a good initiative. When we got the call, we decided immediately to arrange for help. I’ve also gotten in touch with fellow footballers to share the campaign so we can increase our reach,” he added.
The campaign went public on Wednesday and according to Varun Sheth, the founder of Ketto, which is the fundraising platform they’re using, it is doing fairly well for a start.
“Northeast isn’t very digitalized at the moment and very few people know about crowdfunding online, and yet we have been able to raise some money”, he said emphasising on spreading the word about the campaign.
Jayesh Rane and Ashutosh Mehta followed their coach Khalid Jamil from Mumbai to Aizawl FC and were signed in at the start of the season. Their contributions to the FC have significantly added to the collective success in the I-League. It turns that their presence here has worked in the state’s favour in more ways than one, with their campaign already progressing well.
While the weather during monsoon only gets more unpredictable with the uninterrupted rainfall, the funds can prove to be an important relief for the hundreds it has left homeless already. There has been no supply of food, water and electricity and life seems to have come to a halt in the state. With 29 days to go, the campaign aims to raise funds to provide the people with blankets, food supplies, drinking water and other basic amenities required for the rescue operations.
It is crucial to come together and help out the state of Mizoram in such a time of need and what Ashutosh Mehta and Jayesh Rane are doing for the people is commendable. While the course of nature cannot be challenged, provisions can be made to bring aid to the people who have suffered at the hands of the terrible flash floods and the footballers have attempted to do that.
You can support them and find a link for the campaign here: https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/helpmizoram
