Story of a Pole

[video] From the 'Children Have Something To Say' series of 40 short films made entirely by children aged from 12 to 18 years from India with the support of Plan Netherlands. Chandra Shekhar reports on the pole that saved the lives of 52 people. On 29th October 1999 a cyclone swept through Mandal Village in Orissa, destroying everything in its path. Heavy rain caused severe flooding forcing people to seek higher ground. As the water levels continued to rise, between 50-60 people held onto the pole, some were swept away but those that survived now revere the bamboo pole as a life preserver and the pole now stands tall in the rebuilt village as a testimony to the survival of the village and its people.