The COVID19 pandemic has had drastic effects on the population of Mauritius, a small island located in the Indian Ocean. In 2020, the government of Mauritius decided to close supermarkets several weeks and implemented multiple lockdowns. As a result, thousands of people lost their jobs and can no longer afford the necessities to sustain themselves and their families.
Yuv Sungkur, a 22-year-old student who recently graduated McGill University, wanted to help his home country. In April 2020, he brought together his closest friends, Tristan Gerolami, Jean Clavero, Declan Thiriet, and myself, to discuss different possibilities of how we could help. For several months, we all brainstormed about a new project: distributing boxes with food, water, and hygiene products to support the population. During the planning process, I researched on the living conditions of women in Mauritius. I found out that women significantly lack access to feminine hygiene products. At once, the team decided that these products would be included in each box.
Through our actions, we also wanted to take a sustainable and eco-friendly approach, which is why we decided to address another issue present in Mauritius: food waste. As such, we are partnering with NGOs, hotels, and restaurants to retrieve their unused food and products – giving them a second life.
After a year of hard work, we could finally launch the NGO that we hold very close to our hearts: FWH Mauritius. What we love about our FWH is how it brought together five people from different backgrounds. Our multiculturalism and motivation to help people is at the core of FWH! We also love how close we are to the population thanks to our local volunteers and partners.
Our very first distribution will be held in mid-August in the poor neighborhoods of the North of Mauritius (Grand Gaube, Calodyne, Pamplemousse). A typical box will contain water, food such as rice, cans, vegetables, and hygiene products such as soap, diapers, as well as feminine sanitary products.
Also, we are currently collecting donations to finance our first operation! There are several ways to donate: through our website, Juice (for people living in Mauritius) as well as our CrowdFund Page valid until Monday August 9th, 2021!
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We hope that our first distribution will be successful and that we will help as many people as we can during these difficult times!
Lena Ostlund
Co-Founder and Executive Director of FWH
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