These Corona Warriors Inspire Us To Be Better In Challenging Times

It isn’t easy to think about others when your survival is at risk. Every bag of rice and a pouch of milk is precious. Every time you lend a helping hand to those in need, you may be risking the well-being of your loved ones. Which is why in the time of this coronavirus pandemic, one can see a sharp rise in hostility. Supermarkets have been drained of essentials. People are even hoarding perishable items such as milk and vegetables. But then moving incidents of kindness have also come to light, restoring faith in humanity. Rich, poor, middle-class, men or women, there are people who have set an example for the rest of us, showing how social distancing doesn’t mean emotional distancing. That care and compassion become a necessity when the going gets tough because, at the end of the day, that is what truly makes us human. Here are some corona warriors who are inspiring us to be better people even when time and circumstances are not being kind to us.

Nashik farmer donates harvest: Datta Ram Patil, a small farmer from Nashik is donating one-third of the wheat harvested from his three-acre land to the needy. “I am a small farmer. We're not financially stable, but if we have 1 chapatti then we can give half to others who are in dire need,” he told ANI. Read the full story.

Caremongering community: Various caremongering communities, providing emotional support and physical support have sprouted up across social media. In Bengaluru, Mahita Nagaraj has started Caremongers India, under which volunteers are providing medicines and grocery to senior citizens. In Gurgaon, a woman has offered to cook meals for elderlies who are living on their own. Anita Hirani is offering free meals to anyone stuck in Bandra without food.

Also Read: Caremongering communities set up across social media

Woman create India’s first coronavirus testing kit: This woman made it happen. Pune based new mom Minal Dakhave Bhosale gave India its very first testing kit which will be now available across testing labs. Produced by Mylabs, of which Bhosale is the chief research officer, this testing kit will bring down the time taken for results to check presence of COVID-19. As the country’s 1.3 billion people grapple with the mega challenge of a lockdown, and the fear of spread, most experts say increased testing is the answer. Based out of Pune, Bhosale and her team worked hard to get this test out.

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Offering lodging for primary healthcare workers: Several reports of discrimination against healthcare workers have emerged recently, with many residential complexes asking them to vacate their homes, or shopkeepers refusing to provide them with grocery, out of fear of the spread of infection. Those fighting on the frontline against coronavirus deserve nothing less than our unconditional support. However, healthcare workers themselves are reluctant to go back home from hospitals, to keep their loved ones safe from coronavirus. To resolve this issue, many people have offered their empty flats to doctors, nurses and healthcare providers as temporary lodging.

People donating their salary: Total lockdown has led to a rise in unemployment, especially among the daily wagers. Living hand to mouth, this sudden lockdown has put underprivileged people in a hard situation, with no money in their pockets and little food to fill their bellies. While the government is still zeroing on a concrete plan to care for the underprivileged, many have decided to share their wealth. Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra and entrepreneur Devita Saraf are two such names, who have donated their salary to fight the menace of coronavirus. While Devita is helping an NGO that is making food and medicine packets for the poor in Mumbai, Mahindra also announced on Sunday that “Mahindra Group will immediately begin work on our manufacturing facilities can make ventilators.”

While the government is still zeroing on a concrete plan to care for the underprivileged, many have decided to share their wealth. Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra and entrepreneur Devita Saraf are two such names.

Producer pledges money to buy ventilators: Manish Mundra, producer of films like Masaan, Aankhon Dekhi, Newton and Kaamyaab tweeted that he intends to raise money to buy more ventilators for hospitals across the country, pledging rupees two crores himself.

Doctor Shirin Rouhani: Rouhani was a physician and general practitioner at Shohada Hospital in Iran. Despite being infected by coronavirus herself, Shirin continues to treat COVID-19 patients. A photograph of her treating patients with an IV drip hooked to her went viral a few days ago. Dr Rouhani succumbed to coronavirus, but her dedication to her work shall forever be remembered.

Abdul Khader: Sixty-year-old Abdul Khader, a retired telephone operator at Al Ain University in Dubai, is spending around Rs 8,000 every day to provide for 131 migrant workers stuck in Kerala. Khader has lodged these workers in 10 large rooms, equipped with fans, television sets and a toilet. He has also been providing them with food twice a day for the past ten days.

Also Read: What Do I Do Now? A Question Every Parent Is Dreading Under Lockdown

Apart from these inspiring stories, there are many people whose heroic efforts need to be applauded amidst COVID-19 outbreak. Our health workers, those delivering our grocery, vegetable vendors, policemen, firefighters, municipality workers, in fact, every person who chooses to stay at home and lives off whatever resources they have at their disposable, they are all corona warriors. This battle cannot be won by a select few who are brave and kind, it needs every one of us to do our bit.

The views expressed are the author's own.