Garshom award for Indian expat

Indian expatriate and well-known social activist in Kuwait Manoj Mavelikkara is one of the recipients of this year's Garshom International Awards. Dr Fancis Cletus (Abu Dhabi), Mani Menon (Malaysia), Dr Rajeshkumar (USA) and Shijo Francis (Bangalore) are the other recipients of Garshom International Awards for the year 2016.

An expatriate, who arrived in Kuwait 24 years ago, Mavelikkara is well-known in the Indian community for his selfless and voluntary humanitarian service in helping repatriate bodies of people who pass away in Kuwait especially those who are financially weak. He has helped repatriate nearly 1,000 corpses mostly to India over the last 20 years. He has also helped dispatch dead bodies to countries such as the Philippines, Egypt, Sri Lanka and Korea.

The 11th Garshom Awards will be presented in Panggung Seri, Taman Budaya, Malacca on December 17, 2016 at 5.30 pm. The word 'garshom' means 'pravasi', one who is away from his motherland. Garshom, a media company for non-resident Keralites (NRKs), recognizes the contribution of the global community of non-resident Keralites to the society they are currently part of, the nation they had the privilege to be born to, and to Kerala, their motherland in particular. Till now ten Garshom Award presentation ceremonies have been held.