24 September, Dubai, UAE:  A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Aster DM Foundation, the CSR arm of Aster DM Healthcare, one of the leading integrated healthcare service providers in India and GCC and Mr. Joy Arakkal, Managing Director of INNOVA Refining and Trading FZE in UAE to facilitate CSR initiatives in Wayanad, Kerala. 

 

Aster Volunteers is a global CSR programme which has been playing a significant role in helping the underprivileged through various initiatives in the State of Kerala in India and other countries. Disaster relief, free investigations and surgeries for the needy, free medical camps for the masses, aid and employment opportunities for people with special needs, community awareness and outreach programmes are some of the areas in which the volunteers are actively working on.

 

During the 2018 and 2019 floods in Kerala, Aster Volunteers were the first responders on the ground to reach remote areas and provide humanitarian aid to more than 50,000 people in each year. The Aster Homes initiative was launched in 2018 with an aim to ‘Rebuild Kerala’ by providing 250 homes to the displaced flood victims. Out of the 250 homes, around 100 homes are nearing completion of construction and many of them are in the process of being handed over. Till date, the programme has 8000+ volunteers and has touched more than 1 million lives across geographies.    

 

Inspired by the cause and to help provide a shelter to people who lost everything to the Kerala Floods of 2018 and 2019, Mr. Joy Arakkal has stepped forward to support the Aster Homes project by donating 2.5 acres of land in the Wayanad region of Kerala. Around 35-40 houses would be built by Aster Volunteers and named as Aster Arakkal Homes. 

 

In addition to the above, Mr. Arakkal would also be donating a fully equipped Aster Volunteers Mobile Clinic that would serve people in the remote and underserved areas of Wayanad. The mobile clinic would be providing free basic healthcare services to people who do not always get access to quality care. The clinic would be operated by Aster Volunteers from Aster Wayanad Specialty Hospital and DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences. 

 

Speaking on the partnership, Dr. Azad Moopen, Managing Trustee of Aster DM Foundation and Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare said, “Our efforts through the Aster Volunteers Programme has always been to help people in need, through both medical and non-medical interventions. In Wayanad, our programme has been actively introducing healthcare interventions for the tribal population to ensure that basic facilities are accessible, while our Aster Homes initiative is providing hope for a better future to the flood victims in Kerala. We are really glad that Mr. Joy Arakkal is partnering with us to further accelerate our initiatives in the area.”  

 

Commenting on the MOU, Mr. Joy Arakkal said, “I am inspired by the movement started by Dr. Azad Moopen and Aster Volunteers and can see that they are making a significant impact in the lives of people in Kerala. It is my privilege to join the cause and help provide a sustainable support to the underprivileged people of Wayanad. I am sure that our partnership will make a positive difference in the lives of these people and provide hope for a better future.”

 

The Kerala floods of 2018 and 2019 have heavily impacted and caused damage to life and property in the hilly district of Wayanad as well as other parts of Kerala. A well-established businessman in the UAE and a native of the Wayanad district, Mr Joy Arakkal decided to take this opportunity to give back to the inhabitants of the community.