Following the recent death of migrant worker, Alagu Periyakarrupan who died due to multiple injuries from a fall from height at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, his eldest daughter Roopa has penned a moving handwritten letter to thank volunteers from social enterprise group Itsrainingraincoats.
Since Alagu’s demise, the non-profit has arranged for friends in India to check in on his family, their well-being and deliver rations to help them tide through this ordeal.
And now, one of their volunteers is said to be in touch with Roopa, according to Itsrainingraincoats in a new Facebook update today (30 April).
Thanked Volunteers with Moving Handwritten Letter
Not only is the volunteer helping Roopa to improve her English, the volunteer has also tasked Roopa with writing a weekly letter to them to report on her progress.
Roopa’s first letter to Itsrainingraincoats. | Photo: Itsrainingraincoats / Facebook
According to the letter that Roopa sent Itsrainingraincoats, Roopa hails from the Government Senior Secondary School, Bathubasti in South Andaman and is in the 12th standard.
She also revealed that her father liked the fruit banana most.
And above all else, she wrote that she misses and loves him and that he often gave good advice.
At the end of her letter, Roopa also thanked volunteers from Itsrainingraincoats for the help extended.
Daughter’s Education Will Be Taken Care of
According to Itsrainingraincoats, Alagu’s wife “had no other source of income” and pondered over “being a coolie” to support her aged parents and three daughters.
This would mean that she would have to transport the luggages of others at bus stops or train stations in return for small change.
But now with the help of the volunteer, Roopa’s education for the next 5 years will be covered at least and there will be less burden on Alagu’s wife.
She no longer has to entertain thoughts of becoming a coolie due to the support given.
“We can now safely say she will not need to do that and the education of the eldest daughter for the next 5 years will be taken care of until she can get a job,” wrote Itsrainingraincoats.
It was known that while Alagu was still alive, seeing his three daughters be educated was his “greatest dream”, according to the non-profit organisation.
To which they assured: “Alagu, we got this. You can Rest In Peace.”
View the full post from Itsrainingraincoats here.
“A father and husband gone too soon”
Rather than death from COVID-19 complications, Alagu was said to have succumbed to sustained multiple injuries from a fall from height at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, according to an update from the Ministry of Health (MOH).
For nearly 11 years, Alagu had been working as a construction worker with the same employer after arriving in Singapore in September 2009, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). He had also been the sole breadwinner of the family.