A helping hand for those in need

Many seafarers who signed off in 2020 or earlier have struggled to find work since due to the pandemic and the constant lockdowns hampering crew changes. Krishan was one such seafarer who contacted ISWAN for help when he was having trouble getting financial support.

Krishan signed off his last vessel in mid-2020 and had been out of work ever since. His father, a cancer patient, was undergoing chemotherapy when he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be hospitalised. Krishan applied for a grant to help him cover the medical bills but when he did not hear from the administrators for more than a month, he contacted ISWAN South Asia for help with expediting the approval process.

ISWAN wrote to the relevant authority, emphasising the critical nature of the situation. The delay was due to a large number of applications received from all over the country, with staff working tirelessly to process them, but ISWAN’s request was considered and it was agreed that financial assistance would be remitted to Krishan within 15 days.

Krishan received his grant on time and he sent ISWAN this message: ‘I have got financial assistance and money has been remitted to my account. I am grateful for the help provided by ISWAN in this regard. Keep doing the good work for seafarers.’

ISWAN has a network of contacts around the world who enable us to arrange the best possible help for seafarers and their families in need.

If you are a seafarer and need help in a crisis, you can contact our free, confidential, 24-hour helpline, SeafarerHelp, for guidance and support. All contact details can be found at seafarerhelp.org.