We continue to cover COVID superheroes in this edition of the IWI Blog, not restricting ourselves to women alone. Incredible Women Of India would like to raise a toast to two people, one of whom brought people together and created a force of support, and another, who has worked across diverse groups to aide relief work. We are pleased to introduce, Anupama Khanna from Uttarakhand and Karthik TMK, from Tamil Nadu.

A Superhero who deftly used social media : Anupama Khanna – By Harshita Nanda

For the past few months, the exponential rise in the number of Covid cases took a toll on the overloaded health infrastructure leading to its almost collapse. But the bad times also showed us what extraordinary achievements we humans were capable of. One such inspiring superhero who emerged is Anupama Khanna, founder of the Facebook group “Uttarakhand Corona Help”.

The first time I came across Anupama’s post was during the first wave of Covid. She regularly updated the communities about Covid curfew, containment zones etc.  Due to her posts, relevant information reached the public promptly and clearly. It was also a boon for expatriates like me to be abreast of what was happening in my hometown. Anupama also started a Facebook page called “Feed the Stray” to feed stray dogs during the first lockdown. Through the help of the community, she managed to feed more than three thousand strays a day! 

When the second wave hit Uttarakhand, the state was unprepared for the magnitude of cases. Anupama was overwhelmed by distress messages and calls. She soon realised that WhatsApp messages had a limited reach and also added to the confusion. This led her to start the “Uttarakhand Corona Help” group on Facebook, which soon became a go-to site to ask for and receive help in Dehradun, Haridwar and the rest of Uttarakhand. The help could be for beds, medicines, oxygen, platelets, ambulances, food or essential supplies etc. The group is driven by a community of volunteers who worked round the clock. The helpline numbers were personally verified by “Uttarakhand Corona Help” group members, and consolidated lists of resources were made. Even though the number of cases in the towns of Uttarakhand the repercussions of the virus are being felt in the families left behind, requiring the group’s help. Even after the pandemic is over, Anupama wants to continue doing good work by making the group a platform for any kind of help needed in Uttarakhand.

“Since we are educated and privileged, it is our moral responsibility to help others”, Anupama emphasizes, when asked why she took the step to create a Facebook Page. The exemplary work done by the Uttarakhand Corona Help group proves that humanity is still there in all our hearts. Sometimes, all it needs is a medium.

Anupama’s work was recently rewarded by the NewsX group as a 2nd wave Superheroes, and also by Voice of Doon.

Of Migrant Workers and Vaccine Volunteering – Karthik TMK : By Nithya Rajagopal

I am sure we have seen those lengthy lines of migrant workers, struggling to get home when the lockdown was announced. The untold pain and agony that they had to go through, when their life was thrown out of gear. Here is someone who set out to help them get home safely! And if you are terrified of taking a vaccine after knowing it has gone through rounds of clinical trial, imagine how brave one must be to be a vaccine volunteer! Meet Karthik TMK from Chennai!

Tell us about your work as part of COVID Frontline last year  

I have been a part of Covid frontline from Apr 2020. Initially, I volunteered for senior citizens travelling across Chennai and outskirts like Thiruvallur, Koovathur etc carrying food, medicines, essentials. Then I started transporting pregnant women for checkup and deliveries, most of them from very poor backgrounds. Around 20 women were transported, and the women delivered nine girl babies! 

In parallel, I engaged in fund-raising for economically affected school/college children , road side vendors,fisherfolk crematorium workers, auto drivers, animal feeding and Blue cross. I managed to mobilise around 20 lakhs through well meaning friends as well as doing online stand up shows.  I was also one of the earliest covaxin trial volunteers from sep 2020 and I am now on my 3rd trial jab!

You have done a lot of work for migrant workers!

As part of a team, we managed to send home almost 11000 workers across 3 months, by coordinating with the government’s on multiple states, ngos, police, railways , corporation etc. We also managed to arrange for food, stay and rent for them.

This year must have been more difficult? 

This year, our work started mid-April along with another group. The work involves hospital beds, ICU support. We started with Chennai and then extended our work to all over TN and at times all India. We have been sometimes helping with the last rights requests, transportation and coordinating with multiple Hospitals and attenders , Govt medical officers.

On a parallel track , I am continuously working with rural TN in the Kalavai/ranipet areas on rural transportation on multiple fronts. The last 16 months have been Covid specific, where I have raised funds to support around 500 folks there for over a year as they are in dire need, daily wagers, folk artists, snake catchers , etc. I have also managed to arrange close to 50 O2 concentrators for the primary health centres there. I have  raised money to procure 2 lakhs worth of masks, sanitizers, and be an on-going part of vaccination awareness by campaigning there and convincing them. This year too, I would have raised around 35 lakhs in cash and kind.

More about Anupama and Karthik

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Article on Anupama Khanna was covered by Harshita Nanda

Harshita is a trained Engineer turned writer. She dabbles in short stories, micro-fiction and is looking to complete writing her first book soon. She blogs regularly on her blog https://undecidedindubai.wordpress.com/ as well as at Momspresso.

Article on Karthik TMK was covered by Nithya, Manager at IWI