2020-03-23_The_Big_Issue_UserUpload.Net

AsiyahJaved,ashopkeeperfromnearFalkirk,knewshehad

todosomethingforhercommunitywhenshemetanelderly

womancryingoutsideasupermarket–becauseshecouldn’t

getanyhandwash.

The34-year-oldandherhusbandJawad,35,havegivenoutmore

than2,000‘coronaviruskits’– containinghandwash,handsanitiser,

cleaningwipesanda protectivefacemask– toelderlyand

immuno-compromisedpeopleinStenhousemuirfromtheirlocal

DayTodayshop.

“IpostedonFacebooksayingwehadthesepacksfreetoelderly

andinfirmcustomers,andiftheycouldn’tcomeinwewoulddeliver

tothemforfree,”AsiyahtoldTheBigIssue.“Westartedgetting

phonecallsanditwentviral.We’vebeenhavingpeoplecomein

fromalldi�ferentareasforthem.

“We’rehappytodothatbecausewe’retryingtohelptheelderly,

nomatterwherethey’refrom.”Atleast 30 bagshavegonetolocal

carehomeresidents.

Puttingtogetherthousandsofkitshascostthebusinessaround

£4,000sofar,butthecommunityhasralliedroundthecoupleto

supporttheirgenerouse�forts.

“Peoplehavebeencominginandgivingusdonations,a tenner

hereandthere,toputtowardswhatwe’redoing.ThenUnited

WholesaleScotlandcontributed£1,000,whichisreallygoodof

them.”Sherubbishedcriticismsfroma smallnumberoflocals

whoweresurprisedtheshopkeeperswouldgivethesuppliesaway

forfree.

Asiyah,Jawadandthedriverwhoworksfortheirbusinesshave

beendeliveringthepackagesthemselvesoutsideofshopopening

hours,between8pmand10pm.

Theirkindnesshasn’tgoneunnoticedbylocalsin

Stenhousemuir,whohavepulledtogethertoshowappreciation

forthecoupleintheseuncertaintimes.

“Everybodyhasshownuslotsoflove,”Asiyah

said.“Wearegoingtocontinuedoingit

whilewestillhavestock.Wehaveplentyjust

nowbecauseweorderedlotsinweeksago,

knowingthattherearea lotofelderlypeople

inthearea.”

Thecouplereceiveabunchof�lowers

nearlyeverydayfromsomeonewhohas

benefitedfromtheinitiativeandarerunning

lowonspaceforallthethank-youcardsthe

communitycontinuestosend.

“Business-wise,forus,wedon’tknow

what’sgoingtohappen,butwearereadyfor

it.Wedoknowthateveryoneneedstoget

handwashandhandsanitiserbefore,not

when,thevirusspreads.

“Andifeveryone’sbuyingupallthe

handwashandsanitiser,howarethe

elderlyandunwellpeoplegoingto

protectthemselves?”

It’snotthepair’sfirstbrushwith

communityspirit– theygaveawaymilk

andotherstaplestoelderlylocalswho

werekeptinduringtheBeastfromthe

Eastin2018.

Asiyahsaidbeingabletohelpthe

communityhashelpedkeepherspiritsupat

whatisa worryingtimeformany.

“It’sgoingtokeepmegoing,”shesaid.“It’s

encouragingmetohelplocalsevenmore.

Everyoneneedstosticktogether.”

Givethemahand

AsiyahandJawad

‘Everyone needs to arehelpinglocals

stick together’

Photo :

ANDY BUCHANAN/Digital/AFP via Getty Images

23-29 MARCH 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 17