Kudos to Covid Sevaks THEY WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HELP THOSE IN DISTRESS
The pandemic and the destruction it caused has moved everyone very deeply across India and the world. The second wave of Covid-19 has hit India hard with an unprecedented health crisis, huge loss of life and leaving many families devastated.
For everyone, it was unable to bear the sight of hospitals, unable to handle the crisis and turning away patients gasping for breath. They were all struck by the oxygen shortage crisis, the most life-giving item in the present scenario, which lead to many gasping for precious oxygen and related deaths. Even villages in rural India were severely ill-equipped to deal with this colossal healthcare disaster and were suffering silently. Many of us who have gone through this ordeal get petrified by the sound of the ambulance siren continuously buzzing on the streets.
But through these darkest times, there are a few who have come forward as Good Samaritans and are doing their bit to help others fight the colossal crisis. The world needs good people now—more than ever. There are many good souls in society who have taken the concern a step further and decided to actually do something to help. They are not looking at people’s religion, caste or social status when rushing to their help. The journey has not been easy and the struggle is far from over.
Corporate Citizen brings you a few of these Covid Sevaks stories, their inspiring and heart-wrenching journey, and efforts to help the needy. During this unprecedented crisis which proves to be humanity’s true moral test, these Covid Sevaks have proved that humanity is still alive.
It’s appropriately said in the poem:
Little drops of water, litter grains of sand,
Make a mighty ocean, and the pleasant land.
(Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney)
Hot food, warm spirits and hands that reach out
Chennai-based couple Janani Venkitesh and Venkitesh Hariharan have used their time, know-how and resources to serve hot breakfast to conservancy workers apart from gathering funds to distribute to needy families on the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic
By Kalyani Sardesai
An iconic video of actor extraordinaire Charlie Chaplin—shot in the aftermath of the destruction of World War II, has him summing up the problems of the world thus. “We think too much and feel too little. More than technology, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness,” he says in a powerful, unforgettable monologue that has become the stuff of movie legend. Seven and a half decades later, even as the world and India in particular, reels under the havoc caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Chaplin’s lines hold just as true. Covid warriors like Janani Venkitesh and Venkitesh Hariharan stand out for the kindness of their hearts that has translated into some truly significant work for the community they live in. From serving hot meals to a segment of essential workers no one thinks of the conservancy staff to fundraisers for daily wagers to spreading awareness about the importance of the vaccine, they’ve done it all—with some help from technology. “WhatsApp groups, Facebook, social media have a massive outreach. They have helped us spread the good word not just to friends but also friends of friends, both in India and abroad,” says Venkitesh.
A deeper insight into the lives of conservancy workers
Post-several years of having lived abroad thanks to her husband Venkitesh’s IT job, homemaker Janani was thrilled to be able to call Chennai her home. Determined to do something with her time and talent, she decided to engage with a cause close to her heart, namely solid waste management. “This is how I was able to understand the community better and get to know people around me,” she shares. She had begun to appreciate the contribution of the corporation’s conservancy staff in keeping our environs clean. Simply put, they are the very backbone of the beauty and cleanliness we enjoy.
And so, when lockdown happened for the first time ever in March 2020, her heart instinctively went out to the conservancy workers. “The first question that struck both Venkitesh and me was: who would serve them breakfast now that everything else was shut?” she says.
That’s how the couple started serving home-cooked food to a few of the workers they knew. And when they shared this over the WhatsApp groups of which they are a part, friends and neighbours were only too glad to help out. “With more resources, we were able to reach out to more people till the lockdown opened,” she says.
As it happened, this service would be needed once again when the second wave of the pandemic hit the country with unanticipated ferocity in March-April 2021. “Once again, we knew the conservancy staff would need hot breakfast and tea. Crowd-funding and networking, once again, stood us in good stead and we were able to hire a caterer to provide the breakfast,” she says.
What’s more, the couple made it a point to share the pictures and detailed expenditures (a resident friend helped with all accounts) on social media for greater transparency. “This reassured our well-wishers that their money was being put to good use,” says Venkitesh. The Corporation staff knew them well by now and was only too happy to let the couple and their caterer have the use of a local school’s grounds to serve the meal. “Since we firmly believe in environment-friendly choices, we bought utensils to serve them,” says Venkitesh. The fare they served was simple, tasty and nutritious South Indian fare, which would give the staff the strength to carry their burden with renewed vigour. “Idli sambar, khichdi, medu vada, dosai, poori, upama and chai is what we would make. Each day had a fixed menu which was freshly prepared and served with care.” No food packets, water bottles. All food served on plates, and water kept to be self-served on tumblers or their personal water bottles. Both in the first and second lockdown, they were able to serve as many as 50 to 60 conservancy staff in the vicinity of Kasturba Nagar, Adyar, Chennai.
Funding the daily wagers
When the first lockdown opened in June 2020, Janani felt that they ought to do something for small time vendors like the ironing man, rickshaw drivers, fruit sellers etc. as they were the ones whose livelihoods had taken a massive hit—with few savings for back-up. “With the help of an NGO called The Bhumi Foundation we were able to carry out a fundraiser for them. We were able to out together INR 5.5 lakhs which we distributed amongst 85 families. Each received about INR 6000 per month to help tide over the tough times,” she says.
Packaged hot meals
Apart from all of this, Venkitesh has joined hands with another friend (this is actually his watercan delivery boy who is doing it with his friends) to serve packaged hot meals to needy people in Adyar area. “We distribute about 300 packaged meals each day,” he says.
And now, even as the country nervously awaits the arrival of the third wave of the pandemic, Janani and Venkitesh are helping allay fears about the vaccine and help the vaccination programme in the rural suburbs of Chennai. As Chaplin would remind us, the world needs good people now—more than ever.
- JANANI VENKITESH AND VENKITESH HARIHARAN,
Homemaker and IT professional
Cycle Soldiers of Kolkata
‘Cycle Soldiers’-a free doorstep delivery service for senior citizens and frontline workers in Kolkata, began as a solo attempt by Arvind Kumar, in helping his grandmother overcome her anxiety and isolation. The idea has since transitioned into a team of 15-comprising of friends and family in delivering essentials and a little bit of love and ‘adda’
By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar
A granny in South Kolkata’s Kalighat area got caught up in the pre-pandemic mode as PM Modi enforced a one-day trial curfew on that fateful Thursday on March 22, 2020. Little had the elderly lady anticipated getting isolated or unable to buy her pooja essentials that she finally reached out to her grandson- residing in the Gariahat area-less than four and a half km from her. An alumnus of the O.P. Jindal Global University, Arvind Kumar dashed on his bicycle-sought permission from the Officer in Charge of the local police station to visit his grandmother and delivered the supply.
The police were only too happy to permit him as they too had been getting a few distressed calls from senior citizens and decided to forward all such queries to Arvind in the future who happily took up those calls too.
Satisfied with his simple solo service echoed similar calls in the 22-year-old’s mind and he decided to assist senior citizens who were not as fortunate as his own grandmother. “I feel much more connected to people around me. Because there is so much disconnect around us, small acts like these help us to connect better with people,” said Arvind.
Responding to the global diaspora
Arvind designed a poster pledging his availability for delivering essentials to senior citizens especially those living in the absence of their sons or daughters-either abroad or in other Indian cities. Here, money was not the problem but personal access to goods and services constrained these elderlies.
“The poster resulted in around 60 calls from different parts of the world. I had children calling me from the US, Qatar, Delhi, Jaipur and so on saying that their parents are alone and if I could go and deliver medicines and other essentials like grocery and I promptly agreed”, said Arvind. He became their ‘Cycle Soldier’ catering to South Kolkata vicinities of Golpark, Southern Avenue, and Jodhpur Park during the 2020 outbreak. Arvind’s love for cycling, its health benefits and eco-friendliness became the obvious transport choice. “Also, the first delivery that I made was on a cycle. So, I thought of taking this route and whenever there was something bulky to be delivered I used my four-wheeler,” he said. He actively assisted senior citizens with their groceries, medicines, essentials and in instances, even domestic gas cylinder refills with the help of his Man Friday-Buddheshwar Sarkar. The requests for essentials dropped gradually with the easing of the 2020 lockdown but Arvind had already forged an emotional bond with all his new grandpas and grandmas who now summon him for a little ‘adda’ or a friendly chat, for the odd errands and even share home-baked cakes.
Buddeswar SarkarGarnering cycle power in 2021
Come February 2021, Arvind was back home from London as the UK declared a lockdown. He decided to repeat his 2020 Samaritan efforts by expanding his band of ‘Cycle Soldiers’ and the range of services during the second wave. He had posted a request on social media for volunteers and within days, he formed his team including his parents, family and acquaintances and a core team with volunteers-T K Radhakrishnan, Ayushman Saboo, Yashvardhan Gupta, Rajdeep Mantha, Visalakshi Mantha, SS Kumar and PV Anil.
“I personally clock in approximately 15 km per day with the team’s weekly average-run estimated at around 100 km. It is difficult to put a number because the area and frequency of orders vary each day”, he said.
“This time I made sure not to refuse anyone and have tried my level best to deliver these items via our current 15 membered team crisscrossing across the city to deliver supplies,” said Arvind. They are catering to calls from different areas of the city from Park Circus to New Town and surrounding areas by covering greater distances. They have also extended help to different vulnerable groups including Covid-positive families. “We also feed stray dogs on the streets and also run our ‘Energy Pack’- distribution drives for frontline workers”, he said.
Cycle Soldiers have teamed up with Spencer’s Retail for buying discounted items like cake, biscuits, juice, bottled water and snacks for their ‘Energy Packs’, for ground-level workers.
- ARVIND KUMAR,,
Alumnus, O.P. Jindal Global University
Langar special: Dal roti and oxygen too
In a valuable addition to the traditional menu, the langar at Indirapuram Gurdwara Samiti near Ghaziabad has been supplying life-saving oxygen to those struggling with Covid-19. Founder Gurpreet Singh Rummy gives us the details
By Nichola Marie
As president of the Indirapuram Gurdwara Samiti, near Ghaziabad, Gurmeet Singh Rummy has been a personal witness to the heart-rending plight of migrants walking hundreds of kilometres back to their homes as Covid-stricken cities crashed into lockdown last year. Swinging into action, Singh and his volunteers rushed to their aid, providing lakhs of returning migrants with cooked food, footwear and other essentials. “This is when I set up Khalsa Help International, using funds from our own pockets to procure and distribute food rations, gas cylinders etc. among the needy over a wide area in the Delhi-NCR area,” Singh informs. During the three months of complete lockdown, Singh and his band of dedicated volunteers, who number approximately 100 presently, were out in the battleground, so to speak. “We didn’t stay in our homes for even three days—every single day we were out in the service of people, delivering food and other essentials. At that time, we had four vehicles to help us in our endeavours—today, we have 20 in service of the people,” he informs with a grateful smile. Alongside, the organisation also started free of cost corona testing last year for all those in need of it. In the course of one year, they tested two and a half lakh people for free. “Back then when the cost of the covid test was Rs.5000 and now that it’s approximately 1200, we continue to offer the testing free of cost to those who need it. We trained ourselves to fight corona,” he says. Ironically but not surprisingly, a year ago, authorities of certain hospitals in the vicinity would be constantly in touch with Khalsa Help International, requesting the organisation to recommend them for the hospital care of corona patients. “However, in more recent times they completely stopped responding to our calls for help. They were all struck by the oxygen shortage crisis. There was panic everywhere and suddenly, the hospitals blocked us out,” recounts Singh.
Unable to bear the sight of hospitals, unable to handle the crisis and turning away patients gasping for breath, Khalsa Help International rose to the challenge in the most simple and stunning way: they started oxygen langars. A langar, as most will know, is a feature of Sikhism. It is the community kitchen of a gurdwara, which serves meals free of charge to all, regardless of religion, caste, gender, economic status, or ethnicity. Present across the world, langars see people sit on the floor and eat together, while the kitchen is maintained and serviced by Sikh community volunteers. Accustomed to serving simple yet sustaining meals, Singh decided to take this concept further and serve up oxygen too, the most life-giving item in the present scenario.
“Right within the 300 metre-premises of the gurdwara we set up our oxygen langar,” Singh narrates, “supplying oxygen in vehicles to those dangerously stricken by Covid-19. Guided by a team of doctors at the medical centre in the gurdwara, and aided by the volunteers, we set up pipelines on the roads supplying oxygen to 70-80 patients at a single time. Within 24 hours, we would consume 50-60 oxygen cylinders. We helped save the lives of approximately 8,000 people whose oxygen reading was below 50. Another 10,000-12,000 patients whose reading was around 80, were also helped when they came to us fearing they were critical,” he reveals, the pride in his voice palpable.
Even as Delhi reeled under the oxygen shortage and related deaths, Khalsa Help International had worked out the logistics simply and effectively. “There was no oxygen to be had in the vicinity, hence, we started procuring oxygen from 400-500 km away, from places like Ludhiana, Jaipur, and Hisar. We had five to six trucks transporting cylinders from other states. We even provided oxygen to hospitals struggling with a shortage,” he informs.
The journey has not been easy and the struggle is far from over. Singh himself was detected positive with corona twice, as was his family including his 18-year-old son, who, like his father, has been in community service day and night. Weary yes, but far from beaten, Singh is simply grateful for being there for those who need them. Presently, Khalsa Help International is running a 150-bed hospital treating covid patients day and night at the nearby Krishna Dental College. It has been rented out by the organisation for a period of three months. While the entire treatment is free of cost, CT scans are also conducted gratis, which generally cost Rs.5000-Rs.7000. Khalsa Help International Covid-care medical centres are also providing similar service in Patiala and Bajpur, while a fully-equipped mobile medical centre in a vehicle goes to the aid of Covid-19 patients in the need of oxygen in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand. Gurmeet Singh Rummy’s message, “People talk a lot about the religions they were born into; very few think or speak about humanity. Let’s end the battles between religions and live for humanity. Let’s keep insaniyat alive. “
- GURMEET SINGH RUMMY,
President, Indirapuram Gurdwara Samiti; Founder, Khalsa Help International
The unique rickshaw ambulance
Masala King Dr Dhananjay Datar sponsors a novel initiative ‘Rickshaw Ambulance’ for Covid-19 patients in need of oxygen
(Press Release)
Dr Dhananjay Datar, CMD, Al Adil Group, UAE, popularly known as Masala King, has fully sponsored a novel initiative named ‘Rickshaw Ambulance’ meant for the Covid-19 patients who need oxygen in critical condition. ‘Rickshaw Ambulance’ is a patient transport service jointly promoted and implemented by ‘Swadesh Sewa Foundation’ and ‘Baghtoy Rickshawwalla Forum’, both Pune-based NGOs. The service was inaugurated recently here with enthusiasm.
Under this initiative, a fleet of 25 auto rickshaw ambulances equipped with an oxygen cylinder and other medical equipment has been readied for transporting the Covid-19 patients who are in a critical condition and need oxygen while shifting them from their home to a nearby hospital. These rickshaw ambulances will provide service initially in Pune city and surrounding talukas including Mulashi, Mawal and also cities like Pimpri Chinchwad, Bhor, Ahmednagar and Sangli. The promoters have set a goal to increase the number of rickshaw ambulance from 25 to 100 in the near future.
Elaborating on the concept, Dhanashree Patil, the coordinator of the initiative and founder of Swadesh Sewa Foundation said, “The recent second wave of Covid-19 has made us realise the importance of oxygen in a critical condition. Also, another prominent aspect underlined was the importance of transporting the patients who need oxygen to nearby hospitals immediately. The unavailability of oxygen cylinders or an ambulance in time leads to serious problems and may even cause a patient to lose his life. The family of oxygen-deprived patients become panicked in such situations. Sometimes the problem occurs when a patient’s home is located in a small alley. Due to narrow roads, the ambulance can’t reach there. We found a solution to use auto rickshaw as an ambulance. Due to the compact size of an auto rickshaw, it can easily reach and move in narrow alleys. If such rickshaws are equipped with an oxygen cylinder and other essential medical equipment, they can transport the patients to a nearby hospital with a continuous oxygen supply that results in availing medical treatment for them in time and also saving their lives. Dr Dhananjay Datar, a philanthropist, has always been supporting us in implementing such social welfare activities. This time also he offered us his full support and financial assistance and ‘Baghtoy Rickshawwalla Forum’ has contributed a fleet of 25 rickshaws and a dedicated team of drivers. We are grateful to both.”
She further said, “A team of expert doctors is also contributing and helping in our initiative. This team will continuously remain in touch of rickshaw ambulance drivers. The moment the relatives of patients call on our helpline no. +91 96572 89411 and the rickshaw ambulance reaches their doorstep, these doctors will start guiding the rickshaw driver on how to take care of the patients while shifting them to hospitals. The team of drivers is already trained under the guidance of these doctors for carrying out activities like using Pulse Oximeter, checking the level of oxygen by handling oxygen flow meter, supplying oxygen to the patient in right quantity etc.
Dr Keshav Kshirsagar, founder of ‘Baghtoy Rickshawwalla Forum’ expressed his happiness for participating in the initiative. He said, “We are proud to be a part of such a noble cause. Actually, the pandemic has snatched away the daily income of rickshaw drivers as there was no transportation during the lockdown. But in the battle against the pandemic, we will not step back; we will help society however we can. Our drivers will transport the patients while adhering to the pandemic guidelines. Every rickshaw ambulance will carry only one patient. The driver will wear a mask and the vehicle will be sanitised completely. This service will be free of cost for those who can’t afford the fare, and for others, the fare will be moderate.”
Dr Dhananjay Datar, who sponsored the entire initiative, said, “Our ‘Al Adil’ group always supports novel social projects and initiatives. When the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world, we helped thousands of jobless and penniless Indians who were stranded in Gulf countries to return home safely. We sponsored their free air travel, medical tests and food kits. Recently, we honoured 150 Corona warriors from Pune, who perform last rites on deceased bodies of corona victims, by gifting boxes of Alfonso mangoes to them. It was a salute to their noble work and dedication. We are happy to be associated with Rickshaw Ambulance. Since the pandemic is not over yet, we should be more alert to provide medical care to the needy sections of society. We should not forget the miserable conditions of patients who were deprived of oxygen in critical condition and suffered a lot. I am sure that the rickshaw ambulances will serve the purpose.”
- DR DHANANJAY DATAR,
CMD, Al Adil Group and Initiator, Rickshaw Ambulance
Tackling vaccine hesitancy in rural India
Indian villages are severely ill-equipped to deal with this colossal healthcare disaster. To tackle the pandemic which has affected lots of lives, a final year law student at Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR, Jatin Lalit Singh along with a group of law students from Bansa Community Library and Resource Centre initiated the campaign ‘Rural Covid Relief Work’. The Bansa Community Library Team is working tirelessly to make sure that the Bansa Village and the people in the nearby villages are safe
By Vineet Kapshikar
Bansa’s rural Covid relief work
Jatin Lalit Singh along with 23 volunteers are helping out the needful people in villages along with Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM). The second wave of Covid-19 has been more pervasive and deadlier and has impacted rural India terribly. Indian villages do not have well-equipped healthcare systems, as in the urban areas, to deal with this colossal healthcare disaster. “Seeing the dreadful impacts in our village, Bansa, and the villages surrounding it, we tried doing our bit by distributing 1700 masks, 60 sanitisers, and 60 rations kits. However, we realised that this is insufficient for a cluster of villages with a combined population of over 11,000”, adds Jatin. He further adds, “Bansa Community Library and Resource Centre volunteers along with ANM, ASHA, Anganwadi Workers and members from ‘Village Awareness Group’ recently attended a training session by the administration on tackling vaccine hesitancy in rural areas. We are actively working on our awareness programmes and registration desks in and around Bansa. We are delivering thermometers, oximeters, vaporisers, monitoring sheet etc. to Covid-19 patients who are home quarantined”.
Modus operandi
Jatin further explains how his team works, “A team consisting of ASHA, ANM and Anganwadi Workers along with two volunteers from Bansa Community Library go door to door to check the temperature and oxygen level readings. During their visits, they also circulate the Awareness Materials in Hindi regarding isolation and treatment protocol. Team Bansa Community Library also circulates the material through WhatsApp as well. They are also providing oxygen beds, ICU and plasma whenever there is a need. Other than this, the Team is also connecting with people who have queries with online consultation platforms, which are not as easily accessible in the villages as they are in the cities.”
Bansa Community Library and Resource CentreCovid relief work volunteers
Vaccination drive
There is a majority of villagers who are unable to register on their own for the vaccine due to a lack of digital know-how or resources. As a result, the Team has set up three Vaccination Registration Desks in the community to help those without digital accessibility. And in case anyone is unable to come to these desks, the volunteers go to their doorstep and get them registered. The vaccination centre is approximately 12 km away from the villages, and in some exceptional cases, the Team is also providing transportation. Apart from helping the needy villagers, the Team is also visiting MNREGA work sites in villages and providing masks and sanitisers to workers there.
Upon asking what were the significant challenges the team was facing, Jatin says, “Main challenge was regarding awareness and convincing people to be inside their homes, why to put up their masks etc. People were refusing to even go for the test as well.”
Food support
“The team provides the families which need immediate dry ration and provide them with the required supply. We have distributed dry ration to 110 individuals from 11 villages. The majority of them were widow women, people with disabilities and elderly couples abandoned by their children. We also distributed masks. The team will also try to identify individuals who have lost their source of income due to Covid-19 or have been left with a disability and need aid. For children who have already displayed weak immunity even before the crisis, we will provide them with supplements to increase their resistance to diseases” Jatin adds.
- JATIN LALIT SINGH,
Founder, Bansa Community Library and Resource Centre
Volunteer as an ambulance driver
It is rightly said, an egoist lives in poverty, while a gallant person lives in abundance. Adhering to those terms and living life to it is truest connotation is Bengaluru’s 25-year-old, Ajith Achar
By Ekta Katti
An entrepreneur, a passionate photographer and a Covid warrior rose to the occasion and is selflessly helping the ones in need. While some of us get petrified by the sound of the ambulance siren, Ajith Achar pulled up his socks, shined his heart of mettle, took the wheels and was all set to serve the Covid-stricken people. “Thousands have lost their lives and millions are still suffering. To overcome this, every individual has to play their part. The ground reality is far worse. The moment, I realised this, I decided to lend a helping hand in every possible way. We are here to win the battle and war,” said Ajith.
A heart of gold
Hailing from the small town of Udupi, Karnataka, Ajith moved to Bengaluru for his further studies. He started his marketing agency when he was barely 22. A true leader, Ajith was highly aware of his teammate’s emotions and being empathetic was an underlining rule for him. “If we understand each other and take everyone along with us, the sky is the limit. We supported our team, especially during the Covid-19 times. Our sales were affected and even though our cash flow was the bare minimum, we cleared off the team’s salary.” he said.
A few months back, when we were hit by the second wave of the virus, the situation worsened. An Instagram live caught Ajith’s eye and motivated him to be a Good Samaritan once again. “It was a bone-chilling situation. People were stranded on the roads due to the lack of oxygen cylinders, beds, and life-saving drugs. I wanted to be of some use for the ones who were in dire need of medical assistance. The very next day I enrolled myself with the NGO – Mercy Mission India, Bengaluru, who assist people in every sense,” he reminisced.
Ajith Achar being a Good SamaritanTaking the wheels
His day begins quite early. Ajith wraps up his office work until noon and then scoots off to volunteer as an ambulance driver. From noon to midnight, he is all packed up serving the needy. “We are assigned tickets. Right from picking up the empty oxygen cylinders to providing the new ones to transferring the patients and at times, even perform the last rights, we do everything that we can to our fullest,” he explained. In a day, Ajith gets 2-3 calls, and one transfer could last somewhere between 3-4 hours. The first day itself was a life-changing experience for him, he said, “A ticket was raised, and my colleague and I were off to transfer the patient where the ICU was available. Once that was done, we got a second call where we had to take the patient, who lost the battle against Covid-19, to cremate. I still get goosebumps thinking about it. There was no going back, these people needed me, and I had to serve them. My first day was indeed very emotional.” For Ajith, personal precaution always comes first. “We wear a PPE kit, three gloves and two masks and sanitisers are always at our disposal. We take all the necessary precautions to keep ourselves safe and help others.”
Touching lives
Although his mother was sceptical of his social work in the beginning, when things settled down, she understood what a noble cause his son was working for. Ajith’s phone is always buzzing with good wishes and a heartfelt thank you. “I feel so humbled and grounded when people call to thank me for my service. I get very emotional, often I am speechless, but working for such a great cause gives me a satisfying feeling. People often say, ‘It’s because of you I am alive or my parents made it.’ I cannot ask for anything more,” smiled Ajith. As he rushes off for his social duty, he urges us to help others whilst taking all the precautions, “take this virus seriously, stay home and stay safe,” he signed off!
- AJITH ACHAR,
Entrepreneur
Raising funds for the timely treatment
After losing her 29-year-old son to Covid-19, this mother, along with her elder son and his friends has started Mayank Agarwal Memorial Fund (MAMF), raising funds to help low-income families to pay hospital bills
By Rajesh Rao
(L-R) Purnima Agarwal, Varun Agarwal and late Mayank Agarwal
The second wave of Covid-19 has hit India hard with an unprecedented health crisis, a huge loss of life, leaving many families devastated. But through these darkest times there are a few who have come forward as Good Samaritans and are doing their bit to help others fight the crisis. One such story is of the Bengaluru-based ‘Mayank Agarwal Memorial Fund’, which was created in the memory of Mayank Agarwal who passed away at the tender age of 29 due to Covid-19.
Mother of 29-year-old Mayank, Purnima Agarwal along with her elder son, Varun, and his friends, started the Mayank Agarwal Memorial Fund (MAMF) to raise funds and ensure the low-income families get timely treatment amid the pandemic. The team has raised over Rs.50 lakh donation in total so far and have impacted more than 100 family members in Bengaluru, with their hospital bills.
Mother, Purnima and brother, Varun, remember Mayank as a gentle, kind and caring person. “He always helped others. We hope to keep his legacy alive through this fund,” they say. “Above all, he believed in helping others,” adds Varun.
After identifying the need and verifications, the MAMF team set up fundraising campaigns on crowdfunding platforms like Ketto, Milaap and promote through social media. Once the goal is reached, the money is directly transferred to the family’s bank account within 3-4 working days. The team usually try to raise two and a half lakhs per family. The updates on the donation are posted every day on the MAMF website and Instagram page.
To mention a few among the many MAMF fundraising campaigns, the MAMF team has helped a retired plywood shop worker, Shiva Kumar, to clear his hospital bills for his Covid-19 treatment. His son, the only breadwinner in the family, had lost his job due to the pandemic last year. Shiva Kumar is now fully recovered and is discharged from the hospital.
A maid, Pushpalatha, who has two daughters and wasn’t even able to afford medicines and didn’t have any food at home, MAMF cleared her hospital bills for the Covid-19 treatment and she is fully recovered now. They raised Rs.83,000 for her and they have enough funds for a few months. Besides raising funds for the timely treatment of patients from low-income families, MAMF has fed over 12,000 meals to the homeless every day in Bengaluru for 10 days, under their Project Seva programme. They have delivered close to 2000 masks to the homeless and provided over 100 ration kits to the families in need.
Varun perceives that Covid-19 is destructive enough and the financial burden makes it worse for the low-income family members. He pleads to everyone, “Please continue donating and amplifying so that we can make a difference.” (To know more log on to - www.mayankforblore.com / @mayankforblore on Instagram)
- PURNIMA AGARWAL AND VARUN AGARWAL,
Founder, Mayank Agarwal Memorial Fund (MAMF)
Feeding Covid patients for free
It is during a crisis that the wheat is separated from the chaff. During the second Covid-19 wave, it is common people like us who have risen to the challenge and helped our fellow man in distress. Neena Munyal is such a person. She took it upon herself to prepare and provide food for underprivileged Covid-19 patients in and around Agra, preparing as many as 180 hot meals a day. She co-founded Prasadam, a collective of like-minded ladies who started an initiative to feed Covid-19 patients in their locality. This is her inspiring story
By Neeraj Varty
The motivation
Like all of us, the pandemic and the destruction it caused moved Neena Munyal deeply. But she took her concern a step further and decided to do something to help. Last year, she saw the suffering of people, especially daily wage workers and the homeless, who often went to bed on an empty stomach because all their savings had dried up and they had no source of income left during the extended lockdowns. At that time, she decided that she had to do something to help them. She filled her car with containers packed with home-prepared food, and set out to distribute them in different parts of the city. She says that it gave her immense satisfaction to help the needy during the lockdowns last year.
Neena with her husband Inderjeet MunyalScaling the effort
While the destruction caused by the pandemic last year was bad, this year it has been catastrophic, especially in North India. Neena felt that this time she had to do a lot more to help society. She decided to feed at least 100 Covid patients every day from the food she prepared in her own kitchen and she wouldn’t charge a penny for it. She helped create an initiative called Prasadam in which women cook food for Covid-19 patients and help distribute it in their locality. Such was the response she got for her initiative that she decided to scale it up and hired two delivery men to ensure that the food can be delivered to patients who are bedridden and cannot leave their house. On being asked about her decision to help people in this crisis, she says, “After seeing the plight of Covid patients, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, I, along with two other ladies, co-founded Prasadam, to ensure that they would be provided hot meals in their time of need. At the peak of the second wave in April, I was making up to 180 meals a day. Initially, I and my husband, Inderjeet Munyal used our own savings but later we started receiving some donations from people. I couldn’t have done this without my husband’s support. Being senior citizens, we were a bit concerned about contracting Covid ourselves, but we took all precautions while helping.
A regular day
Neena wakes up early in the morning and sets out to shop for vegetables and other food items needed to cook for two meals, lunch and dinner. She prepares roti, sabzi and sometimes khichdi since Covid-19 patients have trouble digesting solid food. She is very particular about timings and doesn’t want patients to wait for their food. She ensures that lunch reaches them by 1 PM and dinner by 7 PM. There is only one thing she demands in return. She wants those availing her free food to provide a Covid-19 positive report. When asked why, she said that she has had some bad experiences of miscreants lying just to get free food and that deprived food from those who actually need it.
People like Neena Munyal show us that no matter what crisis arises, humanity will always persevere as long as people help each other.