SINGAPORE MALAYALEE ASSOCIATION Quarterly Updates (Volume 2, Issue 1) 31st March 2020 Editor: Mrs. Shraddha Rajesh Past Events

SALT, SUGAR, SPICE & EVERYTHING pasta by Mrs. Dhershini Govin Winodan, NICE! Jal’s Malabar Fish Curry by Mrs. Jalaja by Dr. Vidhya Pillay Pillay and Neyyappams by Ms. Suhara. The event was well-attended and it was a On Saturday, 9th November 2019, the fun and interactive session. It was Singapore Malayalee Association Youth refreshing to see a mix of ages from Wing held their final event for the year teenagers to senior citizens attending 2019 in conjunction with Deepavali, at the and interacting with each other at the CareLight Wellness Centre. It was an event. afternoon of old and new friends coming We hope to bring you a range of fun together over food, food and more food. events in 2020. Stay tuned to our The event started off with cooking Facebook and Instagram pages for demonstrations of a delectable seafood updates!

CARELIGHT WELLNESS CENTRE If you would like to volunteer, you may ONGOING ACTIVTIES contact Ms. Laveena (82317319). Our centre is at Blk 141 Bedok Reservoir CareLight Wellness Centre continues to Road, #01-1529 S470141. conduct many activities for our elderly. Do note that CareLight Wellness Centre One of our recent events was the is currently closed, due to the COVID-19 Deepavali reused bottle flower carpet situation. Rangoli 2019 at the Gardens by the Bay on 14th Oct 2019. CareLight received the Singapore Book of Records achievement for this initiative.

1 PIONEER WING GET-TOGETHER If you are above 60 years of age and By Mrs. Sunu Sivadasan-Ghani would like to join our sessions, do contact Mrs. Sunu Sivadasan Ghani @98335711. SMA formed the Pioneer Wing for Ladies We welcome non-members too. SMA in 2019, to enable our senior Malayalees hopes to start a Pioneer Wing for men, to come together, to support each other, where we will have card games, chess and to build friendships through fun. competitions, karaoke sessions. Do contact Mr. Sivaraman Nair @90273257 The much-awaited 2nd gathering was held if you are interested. Non-members are on 1st February at our CareLight Wellness welcome to join too. Centre. We started with a laughing exercise by The Laughter Coach, Ms. Pioneer Wing will deeply miss Suchi. Her animated speech and laughter our dear and active member, therapy got everyone excited. Following Mdm. Kannadi Valloli the laughing exercise, there was a Komalavalli (Mani), who cooking demonstration by our well-known passed away peacefully on chef, Mdm. K.L. Prasanna Kumari, who 12 Feb 2020. prepared a delicious Prawn Theeyal.

After tea was an inspiring exercise demonstration by Mdm. Vasanthi Sadasivan. Everyone was awestruck by this 90 year old’s demonstration of challenging yoga moves. She has been doing yoga every morning for 30 years.

SMA’s RESPONSE TO COVID-19 able to carry on with our daily lives. In By Mrs. Sindhu Krishna Prasad such a crisis, everyone has a part to play to keep our families safe and keep SMA closely monitors and follows all the Singapore secure. Other than keeping guidelines from the government. All our ourselves physically healthy, fortnightly team meetings have been psychological well-being is also of conducted online for the past two paramount importance at a time when months. We are also in the process of many are experiencing increased contacting our members over the phone anxiety. to enquire about their well-being and extend help if required. We are also The latest updates on the COVID-19 planning to extend this care and support local situation can be found here: to anyone who needs help. https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19

It is inevitable that we will remain in this high-risk state for some time to come. If you or anyone you know requires help But if we keep up our guard, and take in this uncertain period, please contact practical precautions to protect Syam @ +65 92316256 (preferably over ourselves and our families, we will be Whatsapp).

2 KERALA FLOOD RELIEF FUND - 3. Donation Booth - In collaboration UPDATE with LiSHA, with sponsorship from By Mrs. Shraddha Rajesh Banana Leaf Apollo, SMA and our 140 volunteers ran this booth over The 2018 Kerala floods were 31 days. devastating, resulting in 483 people dead, 140 missing, estimated property 4. Art Exhibition - SMA Varnam Artists damage of $5.8 bn USD, with more than held an art exhibition at the Indian 1.2mn people across more than 3200 Heritage Centre. Proceeds from the relief camps. 11 of 14 districts recorded sale of art pieces were donated to excess rains. the Kerala Flood Relief Fund.

Singapore’s response included:

1. Online Donation Portal – SMA collaborated with more than 30 Indian organizations to raise funds.

2. Collection Drive - In collaboration with BLPL and X-Feeders, SMA sorted, packed and shipped more than 200 boxes that were then distributed in Idukki. ICA & Focus Malayalam played a key role in making this happen.

3 Handover of Funds to SRC Phase 2:

SMA officially handed over the funds Based on needs analysis conducted by (SMA Collection) to SRC on 10th SRC, Phase 2 focuses on September 2019. A total of more than $400,000 was collected through the 1. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. various initiatives. Water Purification and Storage Units for 10 Villages are planned. The SRC presented detailed plans of the identification of suitable places and projects on which these funds will be obtaining of permits is going on. The used, including the timelines, partners installation will be completed around and expected number of beneficiaries. May 2020.

2. School Supplies for Children. This includes supplying stationery, library books, sports equipment and other miscellaneous items to affected schools.

All orders have been placed and purchased for the school kits. Beneficiary identification has begun. How will the funds be utilized? Distribution will be completed soon.

Phase 1 (Initial Relief): 3. Digital and Financial Singapore Red Cross committed 50,000 Empowerment. SGD worth of relief items and response This promotes financial and digital efforts for initial immediate relief in literacy among the rural population, August 2018. SRC partnered with Indian especially women and children, and Red Cross Society (IRCS) and senior citizens, to accelerate financial International Federation of Red Cross habits, and increase economic and Red Crescent (IFRC), in the participation. distribution of relief items. How will this be done? The mobile Relocation of affected population was training centre will travel to different carried out in Alappuzha, Wayanad, places, including interior villages, Ernakulam, and Pathanamthitta educational institutions and offices, districts. and staff will conduct one-day training programmes. SRC also supplied 3 Wateroam filtration Systems to be used in low-lying areas Course materials are being prepared that were depending on well water. and suitable trainers are being identified for the programme.

There was some delay faced, due to the phasing out of currently available vehicles. Once the new vehicles are available, the training programmes will commence, from May 2021 to May 2022.

This is expected to reach 3000 beneficiaries in the first year.

4 Phase 3: Once the projects are completed, SRC Mobile Medical Clinics will be regularly will release a detailed report. deployed to reach people who are SMA would like to thank all donors for otherwise cut-off from access to health their generous support. services.

Phase 4: This phase focuses on continuation of efforts from the last 2 phases, so as to provide long-term aid to the beneficiaries.

SMLF UPDATES By Mr. Ullas Kumar

SMLF ANNIVERSARY 2019

SMLF’s 7th Event, for which renowned writer Sri. Ashtamoorthy was the guest of honour, was held on 10th Nov 2019 at Woodlands Regional Library.

Pramod RB led the session on Seetha, with speakers Mr. M K Bhasi, Ms. Divya Arun, Mr. Ashok and Mr. Suresh Kumar T presenting sessions. Mr. Ashtamoorthy delivered the keynote speech, emphasizing the need to document the history of Malayalee literature in the anniversary event. Though attended Singapore. Mr. Prem, President of SMA by a small group of 15, the session was gave the vote of thanks. thoroughly enjoyed for its depth of analysis and charm of presentation. The session marked a good start to the SMLF events; a year-long calendar of events was presented at the session.

50 YEARS OF KHASAK, 1ST FEBRUARY 2020

Singapore Malayalee Literary Forum (SMLF), the literary wing of SMA, organised this event on the 50th anniversary of the most read Malayalam book "Khasakinte Ithihasam" (The SMLF SESSION 1, 2020 legends of Khasak) by OV Vijayan, the renowned Malayalam Novelist. The OV Mr. Pramod RB started off this poetry Vijayan Memorial Forum members from session by mesmerizing the audience Kerala and award-winning novelist Mr. with his enchanting delivery of poems, Sethu were the key speakers on this as a continuation session of Seetha from occasion.

5 Mr. Narayana Das, chairman of the OVV into the author’s mind through one of Forum, explained the relevance of the his associates. 50 year old creation even today. Mr. OV Vijayan was a philosopher and thinker Dr. Chithra Bhanu, a member of the who introduced the art of modernism to Forum and an avid researcher of OV Malayalam literature, and marked a new Vijayan's literature, presented a era in it. He also introduced the wonderful overview of the overall background of the memorial that was contributions of Mr. Vijayan. While being built after Mr. Vijayan. the most successful novelist at that time, he was also an accomplished Mr. Sethu, renowned writer and cartoonist, short story writer and contemporary of Mr. Vijayan, delivered journalist. Ms. Bhanu inspected critically the keynote speech He expounded the the creations of Mr. Vijayan as a writer deep thoughts and sharp writing skills of of short but poetic stories, the only six Mr. Vijayan, and reminisced about their novels and how they transcend time and many interactions while the two were outlive the author, and how the living in New Delhi about 50 years ago. creations find new dimensions and He shared the conflicts and fears which interpretations over time. Mr. Vijayan faced as a writer of publishing such an astonishing work. Mr. T Suresh Kumar presented the topic The talk gave the audience a real insight "The sense of death in OV Vijayan's Novels."

THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGES Plants on human beings) from Baroda AND TREASURE OF SANSKRIT – University] was conducted at SMA on 2ND FEBRUARY 2020 2nd February 2020. Dr. Nandakumar presented the history of evolution of An informational lecture by Dr. P languages in the history of human Nandakumar from Thrissur [M A beings and in India. He also presented Sanskrit literature (Rank Holder of the breadth of knowledge that Sanskrit Calicut University) PhD( Vachaspati) in presents in various domains of human Sanskrit & Ancient Botany (Effect of experience.

For SMA membership: https://www.malayalee.org.sg/ become-a-member/ For any feedback/queries, please write to [email protected]

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