Malabar Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate and the parent company of Malabar Gold & Diamonds has launched the ‘Uyirp’ initiative aimed at supporting the higher education of children from families affected by last year’s landslide in Wayanad. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to 134 students from the affected areas, ensuring they can pursue their education without financial hardship.
The ‘Uyirp’ project was inaugurated by Priyanka Gandhi – MP, in the presence of several distinguished guests. T. Siddique MLA presided over the function. Malabar Group Chairman M.P Ahammed delivered the keynote address. ‘Missile Woman of India’ Dr. Tessie Thomas was the chief guest. Former MLA and Rajya Sabha member M.V Shreyams Kumar; former minister and MLA A.P Anil Kumar; I.C Balakrishnan MLA; Wayanad District Panchayat President Shamshad Marakkar; Municipal Chairman Adv. T.J Isaac; Kalpetta Block Panchayat President Chandrika Krishnan; Meppadi Panchayat President K. Babu; Standing Committee Chairman Mujeeb Keyamthodi; Malabar Group Executive Director A.K Nishad; Head of Retail Operations R. Abdul Jaleel; Head of Solidarity and Operations Abdul Yashir Adiraja and others attended the inauguration ceremony.
Malabar Group has allocated over USD 233,000 for the ‘Uyirp’ initiative, of which USD 73,000 has already been disbursed. The financial aid will cover all education-related expenses, including course fees, hostel fees, study materials, examination fees, and travel costs. Additionally, any outstanding fees from previously pursued courses will also be paid by the company. To further ensure the future of these students, Malabar Group has committed to giving them priority employment within its businesses. A dedicated placement cell is being formed to help them secure jobs in other organizations as well, and a finishing school is being set up to provide necessary training for their career growth.
Among the selected students, 70 are girls and 64 are boys, pursuing a variety of academic disciplines. The distribution of students across different fields includes 26 in medical courses, 17 in IT-related fields, 24 in science disciplines, 27 in commerce, 26 in humanities, and others in aviation, engineering, and teaching. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with T. Siddique MLA’s ‘MLA Care’ project.
Speaking about the initiative, M.P. Ahammed, Chairman, Malabar Group said, “Nothing can replace the pain of those who lost everything in the disaster, but we are committed to supporting them. The ‘Uyirp’ initiative is our effort to help these children build a bright future. As a business, we believe in giving back to society, and this initiative reflects our responsibility toward the community”
A cornerstone of Malabar Group’s corporate social responsibility initiatives is the ‘Hunger Free World’ project, which aims to alleviate hunger by providing nutritious meals to the impoverished. Currently, the initiative distributes food packets to 60,000 individuals daily across 81 cities in 17 Indian states. Additionally, 10,000 food packets are distributed daily to schoolchildren in Zambia, Africa. To date, Malabar Group has invested over USD 33 Million in various CSR activities.
Additionally, as part of the Malabar Group’s ongoing Hunger Free World initiative, 581 micro learning centers have been established across India to provide basic education to street children and facilitate their transition into formal schooling. So far, 25,800 children have been enrolled in these centres, where they receive one year of foundational education to help them return to or begin formal education. Children who graduate high school will receive support for higher studies on campuses across various states, with additional scholarships available to girls as part of the Group’s commitment to women’s empowerment
