Qatar Vanimal Pravasi Forum members during the virtual Iftar meeting.
Doha: Qatar Vanimal Pravasi Forum (QVPF), an expat community hailing from South Indian state of Kerala, hosted its virtual Iftar meet on Friday. Since its inception 18 years ago, the QVPF has been holding Iftar meet every year as a way to meet new and existing members.
This year, the members connected through Zoom app with social distancing still in place amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The meeting started off with Rezin Abdul Salam reciting a verse from the Qur’an. General Secretary Shammas Kalathil welcomed the members, while President Sadique Chennadan delivered a speech on ‘How to Survive Socio-Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic’. He stressed the importance of strengthening ties in communities and supporting each other by extending financial aid, sharing important information, resources and tools to try to cope with the situation.
Dr Arif NP, a long-time member of QVPF, delivered his key note address on ‘COVID-19 and Preventive Measures’. With so much conflicting information about the coronavirus pandemic swirling around the social media, Dr Arif answered members’ questions in a live session.
Pravasi Forum Thanal chairman MK Abdul Salam explained its activities and future prospects.
The e-Iftar meeting, which saw the participation of around 100 members, was literally once in a blue moon experience for both new and long-time members.
