• April 11, 2020

Malayalee Association of UK in the forefront in supporting the Indian community in London during Covid (Video)

LONDON April 11: Alongwith rest of the world the UK too is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The Malayalee diaspora professionals working within the NHS, key workers, essential services staff, volunteers, community organisations, art groups are all in the forefront doing their might to help the national cause alongwith keeping them and their family safe and healthy. It is a challenge day in day out for them to ensure the safety but they are relentless.

With no dearth of health professionals within the community, majority of them are aware and knowledgeable about the pandemic, and taking sensible precautions by not allowing the virus to inflict major harm on them.

The pandemic which spread to the UK in January 2020 transmission within the UK was only confirmed in February, leading to an epidemic with a rapid increase in cases in March and continuing into April.

The majority who are victim to the pandemic are the elderly people which includes Malayalees.

Immediately following the epidemic showing a rapid increase in elderly clients, the Malayalee Association of the UK (MAUK) sprung in action to help the elderly and vulnerable in the community.

MAUK’s plan of action was to check-in regularly on elders in the community and ensure prevention measures were put in early to avoid any catastrophe within the community members.

Following a thorough audit within the community they began making contacts with them through a friendly chat which helped them to learn the requirements. They started to see the need and began responding to it through their dedicated volunteers.

MAUK was soon listed by the Indian High Commission in London as one of the organisations volunteering to provide services to the Indian community. This lead to numerous emails and calls the organisation which has lead them to widen the services they are providing.

Their volunteers today are helping in doing the shopping and delivering essential items, picking up prescriptions and getting medications, delivering books and magazines and responding to any emergency needs arising as and when.

MAUK not just helping Malayalees but also the wider community. “We are not looking at anyone’s nationality and we don’t ask them who they are. If they approach us we just give it to them”, said a volunteer from MAUK.

MAUK are also responding to calls from Indian students and others who are in need of food. For providing food they are using the premises of Malayalee restaurant Thattukada in East Ham. MAUK will be providing 200 free food kit with basic essentials on Bank Holiday Monday to ensure that no Malayalee locally go hungry on Vishu day.

The organisation has also received a voluntary donation of £1100 from people from all walks of life without launching an appeal.

MAUK is also working with the Kerala Loka Sabha unit in the UK in trying to address the issues faced by the Malayalee students in the UK.

MAUK has set up dedicated contacted numbers and Watsapp groups. To get involved or for help please email info@mauk.org.

More details can be had from their website www.mauk.org.

Malayalee Association of UK in the forefront in supporting the Indian community in London during Covid (Video)

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