“I am in love with Maida Vale”: a conversation with local artist Mukadas Muborakshoeva

November 2020

Local artist Mukadas Muborakshoeva spoke to us about painting during lockdown and helping to sew masks for the NHS.

How did you find about the W9W2 Group initiative?   

In search for information, the lockdown made many of us surfers of the waves of the internet. Wondering about events going on in my area, I came across     @MaidaValeMuse on Twitter, to learn about the W9W2 Group Initiative, where Alice was looking for volunteers.

What made you support the group?  

Seeing the situation with Covid-19 worsening and people losing their loved ones every day broke my heart. Without thinking twice, I decided to volunteer with the group sewing masks to help the NHS.   

Have you volunteered before?  

I belong to the @Ismaili Community and volunteering is part of our rich history. We officially celebrated 100 years of our volunteer work last year, but in fact our volunteerism has the history of over hundreds of years. We live in different parts of the world and try to help each other as well as helping the countries where we choose to live. It’s been over 20 years that I’ve been volunteering for communities in different countries.

What was the most exciting part volunteering with the group?  

Alice and Sandy managed to gather a lovely group of volunteers from various walks of life who tirelessly supported their initiative with joy. I learnt once again that there are countless kind hearted people around and together we can form a huge power to make the world a better place. I also rediscovered that we can physically stay at home but virtually travel to the remotest parts of the world to help people fight this pandemic.

Have you travelled during this lockdown?

Yes. I had a few virtual field trips back-and-forth to Moscow and Tajikistan during this lockdown.

A group of girls from Tajikistan studying in London, France and Canada founded @PamiriYouthNetwork with the mission to help their communities.

They requested me to share the scheme of my W9W2 group’s work information, so they can also tailor a similar initiative for their volunteers. I consulted the idea with Sandy and she was more than happy to support. The group completed a project to help their Moscow community in April and continuing to raise funds for another project through @GoFundMe platform to purchase an oxygen generator and provide masks for medical centres in Tajikistan in the coming months.

Is there anything else you would like to share with Maida Unveiled?

I am in love with Maida Vale and often come here for a walk with my family. Its towpaths and waterways awaken my inspiration. I found out painting as a therapy during this uncertain times and turned my walls into home Lockdown gallery, where I expressed my feelings about the new normal. I think we all are going through mixed feelings and witnessed the birth of thousands of cape- less heroes: the NHS nurses. Bus drivers, shop keepers, street cleaners, those who sat at home following the lockdown rules and those who are making masks and helping to save thousands of lives in different parts of the world remain our unsung heroes. I feel proud that our groups’ efforts and initiative reached other people beyond Maida Vale.