Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Group's Helping Hand for India!
The Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni, Victoria has come together to raise this fund to help underprivileged people who need some support due to COVID-19. Our partner to do this at the ground level in India is an NGO called Helping Hand India. The fund raised will help provide online doctor consultation, supply of Oxygen, medicines and labs at doorsteps and ambulance services.
Syed Asif Hassan (President, JMI Alumni, Victoria, Australia):
The current covid 19 crisis in India has been devastating and the tragedies that are unfolding are unbearable. We all have been affected by it in one way or the other, with the loss of the lives of our near and dear ones. Truly testing times for everyone more so for the unprivileged and people who were living on daily wage. To get a hospital bed and continuous supply of oxygen/medication for the sick ones is a challenge for people with contacts and an impossibility for the not so privileged and low income or no income people. This is the time to do whatever we can to be of some kind of support when most of the systems in India are failing. This is true calling, we all need to do whatever we can.
Last year Jamia Alumni group, Australia raised funds ($8,000) for a scholarship for female students in Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. This is an ongoing scholarship.
The Jamia Millia Islamia group was generously supported by the wider community as well in its endeavour, and helped it reach the target within a week's time. The funds will be transferred to the Hyderabad based NGO Helping Hand https://helpinghandf.org/ soon, so that they can utilise it help the needy asap.
Soon the JMI Alumni Group will initiate a new fundraising campaign to help the marginalised section in smaller towns in India impacted by COVID-19.
Vikrant Kishore (Vice President, JMI Alumni, Victoria, Australia):
India is going through the worst COVID-19 crisis at the moment. Many friends and family are impacted; thus, this is not the time to sit and watch the tragedy unfold from a faraway country, but to help in every possible manner. Many thanks JMI Alumni Group, Victoria, Australia for this support campaign for India. Support small or big... counts... and is valued! Thanks to all for supporting this campaign!
Yasmin Siddiqui (General Secretary, JMI Alumni, Victoria, Australia): COVID situation in India is going from bad to worse. Country’s health system is near collapse. We can’t fix what’s happening in India but surely can make a difference through this fundraising campaign. Which is in line with one of the objectives of our association to identify and support the underprivileged.
Saad Ahmed: Our community Including friends, family have been ravaged by COVID. This is least we could have done.
Akhtar Shamim (JMI Alumni, Victoria, Australia): The current covid 19 crisis in India has been devastating and the tragedies that are unfolding are unbearable. We all have been affected by it in one way or the other, with the loss of the lives of our near and dear ones. Truly testing times for everyone more so for the unprivileged and people who were living on daily wage. To get a hospital bed and continuous supply of oxygen/medication for the sick ones is a challenge for people with contacts and an impossibility for the not so privileged and low income or no income people. This is the time to do whatever we can to be of some kind of support when most of the systems in India are failing. This is true calling, we all need to do whatever we can.
Naazish Fatima (Media Advisor, JMI Alumni, Victoria, Australia): India is battling a catastrophe like never seen before. People are dying not just due to COVID but due to shortage of resources. This pandemic has affected our community at every level. People have lost their jobs -businesses have collapsed. Through this fundraising we aim to help people who are suffering financially due to the pandemic. This is the least we can do for our people right now.
Another objective of the group is to provide support to individuals here in Melbourne/Australia who are unable be with their families during this unprecedented crisis, and might be going through emotional crisis, we are in the process to set-up a help-group for international students as well. Will share further info soon.
If you need immediate help, we can certainly connect you with Helping Hand and other NGO partners, individuals that we are working with. Kindly let us know the details and will reach out. contact: jamia.australia@gmail.com