Chinese expats in UAE help those impacted by coronavirus pandemic

Dubai - Distributing PPE to common people, such as masks, gloves as well as soaps, shampoos and hand sanitisers.

Around 400 Chinese expatriates, teaming up with the UAE Red Crescent Authority, have donated cash and other materials worth Dh150,000 to help the Covid-affected. Many of them have also volunteered and distributed around 4,000 health kits to the needy across Dubai. The community handed out the charity and kits to show gratitude towards the UAE for being their second home and providing them a safe haven during the time of the global pandemic.
Dr Yousuf Shaojin Chai, coordinator of activities of the Chinese volunteer group, said: "We have formed an online support group called Chinese Goodwill Wechat Group and we started work by volunteering in Deira area from April when the lockdown in Al Ras and Naif areas was announced. This was done in collaboration with the UAE Red Crescent Authority. We focused on mainly providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to common people, such as masks, gloves as well as soaps, shampoos and hand sanitisers, as many of these are not so affordable, especially at this time when many have lost their jobs or have had salary cuts. Many Chinese traders donated masks and other PPEs along with monetary donations."
Donning PPEs, around 30 volunteers in the age group of 25-55 years stood outdoors in the sweltering heat and distributed health kits at International City and also Dubai fruit and vegetable markets on two different distribution events that they organised. The volunteers of the group - majority of which are women - include business people, white-collar professionals, and also educationists from all across the UAE.
Dr Chai said: "The distributions are done in a very orderly manner following all guidelines to ensure the safety of our volunteers as well as the beneficiaries. We set up our table where we registered the beneficiaries and give them the health packs. All of us wear PPEs and put signages about maintaining a two-metre distance between all at all times."
He pointed out: "Although there are roughly about 400 or more Chinese expats volunteering for this cause by way of either contributing in terms of cash, goods or time, only 30-40 volunteers are able to be physically participate in the distribution process due to time constraints. And I am happy to say that the women of our community are the front runners in these volunteering activities."
Deeply moving
Dr Chai said: "It was moving to see a 10-year old Chinese girl using all her piggy bank money to buy six packs of masks and contribute them for our health kits for the needy. Also, while we were distributing health boxes at fruit and vegetable market, a Chinese man, who saw us distributing these packs, came up to us and contributed 300 water bottles that he asked us to give with the packs. It was amazing to see the love and devotion of Chinese expats during these events."
Giving out a message of oneness, Dr Chai said: "We all are in this together and we believe we are all one as we breathe the same air and live on the same land, so we need to team up together and forget that we are from different nationalities. The virus doesn't care about your race or nationality; therefore, we have to fight together against this common enemy of humanity. We need to stop pointing fingers at each other or blaming each other. The need of the hour is to support each other and beat this virus together."
Dr Chai added that his team of Chinese volunteers will go ahead with their distributions across different locations in the emirates on the directions of the UAE Red Crescent, which is helping them identify those affected by the pandemic.
saman@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE