The Forgotten: Punjabi Homeless In Southall, UK (from Blog Of Maple Leaf Sikh)

[spnadmin]

The Forgotten: Punjabi Homeless in Southall, UK


This a a short film produced by the Sikh Welfare & Awareness Team (SWAT) on the very serious homeless situation currently in Southall, UK.

YouTube - The Forgotten - Homeless in Southall - SWAT



Visit SWAT's Facebook page to learn more about how you can help.

Did you know there are over a 200 young homeless people from Punjab and other areas of India sleeping rough in the streets of Southall, Hayes and Hounslow areas? This is number is growing rapidly as we find more and more homeless people seeking our help and support.

We have encountered 2 men over the age of 55 living on the streets, and also a few young women too. Other nationalities from Sri Lanka and European countries have also been found homeless.

Where are they living?

• In Dustbins
• Cemeteries & parks
• Disused Garages
• Under Bridges
• Alleyways

To cope many have turned to class A Drugs, such as Heroin and Crack Cocaine, as well as other substances. The reason for this is to cope with the cold, to suppress their hunger and to help them sleep on the streets.

Many are suffering from serious health conditions such as Hyperthermia, Scabies, Gangrene and cannot get immediate medical attention. Some also experience depression, mental illness, violence and abuse.

What are we doing to help:
• Providing drug care and advice
• Providing clean clothing.
• Providing sleeping bags.
• Providing hot food.
• Providing moral support.
• Assisting with those who want to return back home.
• Putting them in contact with health centers.
• Raising awareness in various ways to highlight the plight of these people.

SWAT helps and supports all nationalities.

What are the Local Gudwara’s doing?

Sri Guru Singh Sabah is making sure none of these people get turned away for Langar (hot meals) and if they are unfit to enter Langar is provided outside for them. Allowing us to appeal to the Sangat for any kind of support required and highlighting this issue.

How can you help?

Please contact us if you have any warm jackets gloves scarves shoes etc.

Let us know if you have contacts that can help in any way with the following:
• Temporary Sheltering
• Shower facilities
• Immigration/ legal support
• Medical advice
• Funds/ grants

Any ideas are welcomed and if you have the same issue in your own area or know anyone homeless we are more than willing to help, so please get in touch.

Any funds/ donations would be extremely helpful, please contact Randeep 07977 131113

Email: swathomeless@hotmail.com

Account Details for donations:
Natwest
AC: 20268157
SC: 60 11 18

http://www.mapleleafsikh.com/2011/01/forgotten-punjabi-homeless-in-southall.html

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

SAD Commentary. More and More Sikh Youths of Punjab are getting themsleves DUPED by Fake Agents to smuggle themsleves into UK ILLEGALLY and thus suffer in this way...NO EDUCATION...( Never studied )...NO MONEY ( every penny given to AGENT and Land back home MORTGAGED/SOLD OFF)....NO FRIENDS/RELATIVES..( they too equally ILLEGAL and thus unable to help/unwilling to help to avoid trouble)...NO JOB..(untrained and unwilling to work as most are PUTT Jattan Sardaran de who never lifted a finger back home due to Bhaiyah Labour doing everything )....easy life ?? NO SIR..there aint nay FREE LUNCH anywhere..except in the Guru ka Langgar !!..or a SAADH/DERA chela/Baba Ji ....WISE UP..and STUDY well if you want to go abroad..or be willing to work HARDER than in PUNJAB.

 

[spnadmin]

There is also another side to this question. When we post articles about the difficulties faced by Sikh immigrants, and other South Asian immigrants to the west, we cover the entire spectrum of issues for them: health care, spousal abuse, lack of mental heath services, and more. Therefore it is not helpful, either to raising awarenes,s or to finding the kind of help that will turn lives around, when someone comes along for the sole purpose of picking points, debating small details, or promoting hatred of this group or that. As if these stories were merely the waste products of the imagination of someone with a political agenda.