Malayalam radio in the UAE helps unite Indian maid with family

A 62-year-old Indian maid has been reunited with her family after nine years with the help of a UAE-based Malayalam radio channel which is also helping her to raise money for buying a house.
Shahida who hails from Kerala was announced the winner of the 'Home for Eid' programme launched by Ajman-based channel Gold 101.3, which helps the underprivileged to spend a memorable Eid with their families.
Shahida has been working in the UAE for 20 years and could not visit home as she had to settle the family debt, Khaleej Times reported.
With the salary and support from the Emirati family that she has been serving, Shahida has now managed to clear her debts. When she narrated the story on air, RJ Vysakh of the radio channel wrote about it on his Facebook page.

She had to sell everything that she had earned including her house to marry off her three daughters and is now about to fulfill her dream of building a small house to spend the rest of her life after retiring from her job in the UAE, the report said.
Shahida's story went viral on social media.

She last visited her family in 2006 for her youngest daughter's wedding.
She could not go home again even when her husband and father passed away.
"Every day, we complain about so many things from slow Internet connection to salaries not increasing, not being able to change the car or even for the colour of the new dress fading," RJ Vysakh said.

His post on Facebook caught the attention of Malayalam film actor Suresh Gopi who contacted the channel and promised to support Shahida in buying a plot for building her home.
"He has already offered a support of Indian Rs 200,000 for her. Galleria Entertainments in Dubai has also offered another Rs 300,000," RJ Vysakh said.
Several other listeners and followers have been contacting the radio station with promises to support Shahida.