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A family living at Direct Provision in Cork took to the streets of the city yesterday to distribute 500 free masks, bringing to 2,000 the amount of blankets they have donated to the public during the pandemic.
The Singh family, who live in Cork’s Kinsale Road accommodation center, say making the masks is about “giving back” to a country they came to from India three years ago.
They also hand out masks for free at the accommodation center where they live and which houses 300 people.
Raminder Singh, his wife Harinder Kaur and their three sons Sandeep (21) Gursewak (19) and Gurcharan (17) have settled well in Ireland since their arrival.
Sandeep has completed her esthetician training first at St John’s College and then at the Cork Training Center in Bishopstown.
Gurcharan is a student at Colaiste Chriost Ri and plays cricket with KRAC 11 and the County Cork cricket team.
Gursewak is a talented musician who plays with the Citadel Band.
Raminder says that the fundamental belief of the Sikh religion is to participate in Seva. This is a service that is performed without any expectation of result or reward for performing it.
“We are very happy in Ireland. We like this country and the Irish. My wife and daughter make the masks. Everyone helps. This is the fourth time we have handed out masks (in the city center).
Raminder says the family recently experienced anxiety when two people tested positive for the virus at the center. Two other close contacts of the infected had to be isolated.
“Everyone in my family has been tested. Three times we have checked. We have 300 people here. “
The family was denied the right to live in Ireland in January and has filed an appeal. They seek asylum for religious and political reasons.
Raminder said: “We don’t know what will happen. My wife is very depressed. We would like to stay.”
Sandeep would like to open her own beauty salon in Cork.
“I have completed my training now and I am waiting for my certificate. Then I will apply for a job. I did one year of training first in India. And then three years at St John’s College and Bishopstown.”
The family never sought publicity for their altruism. It was made public when a woman who received a free mask took to Twitter praising the Singh family for their efforts.
Sandeep says the family worries about the coronavirus because they all live in close proximity to each other at the direct supply center.
He adds that when the masks began to be distributed on Patrick Street, it took four to five hours for the 500 masks to be distributed.
“Now they disappear in an hour or two.”
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