DU amps up fight against Covid: College students huddle to help the masses

Students of SRCC, St. Stephen’s College and Miranda House have found concentrated ways to help the masses battle against the Covid-19 crisis, as various groups mushroom in different colleges in Delhi University.

Verifying authentic leads from a sea of information floating online, organising oxygen and medicines for critical patients, raising funds for those in financial crisis and supporting the Covid positive individuals emotionally and physically, students from Delhi University (DU) have been doing it all. But now, the individual efforts of these youngsters have found a more concentrated way as various groups mushroom in different colleges to help amplify the efforts in the ongoing battle against Covid-19. Read on to know how students at three DU colleges are pulling out all the stops to aid the Capital in its fight against the second wave of coronavirus.

Students from various colleges of Delhi University are pooling their efforts and resources to help others during the second wave of the pandemic. (Photo: Amal KS/HT)

Help desk to aid the needy, beyond college premises

More than 100 student volunteers of Miranda House have been verifying every possible lead, and update the information regularly in one single in a document. “It was during April end that we started collating information for the college faculty and staff, on the suggestion of our principal, Bijayalaxmi Nanda. But when the second wave of coronavirus hit Delhi, we realised that we needed to do more for everyone and not just our college,” says Tavissi Jain, a final year student of Philosophy (Hons), while handling her college helpdesk. The excel sheet created by Miranda students has information on oxygen providers, beds, medicines, blood plasma, tiffin services, ambulance services, etc, available in Delhi-NCR. It has been circulated in various WhatsApp groups, and helped numerous people find essentials in the time of crisis.

Tavissi Jain, a student at Miranda House has been verifying and updating leads in one single document.

Gauri Kumar, another final year Philosophy (Hons) student, works as the medical support coordinator for this team. She shares, “People who we were able to help, often call us offering essentials like oxygen cylinders, which enables us to help more people. We also connect those in need to the plasma donors. It’s crucial to understand that directing people to credible sources is the need of the hour.”

Looking at future, setting up Oxygen plant now

The plight of denizens searching frantically for oxygen cylinders or concentrators, during the second wave of Covid, has inspired students of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) to raise funds for Covid relief. Jayani Shah, a second year student of BA Economics (Hons), says, “We’ve joined hands with an NGO, Doctors For You, which is working for Covid relief in Delhi, to set up an oxygen plant. This plant will produce 150 litres of oxygen per minute, which would be able to save around 20 to 30 lives at a time!”

SRCC student Jayani Shah, who along with her college mates has joined hands with an NGO, Doctors For You, to set up an oxygen plant in Delhi.

The plant will be set up at the Commonwealth Games Village Covid Healthcare Facility, which has been converted into a 500 bed, free of cost centre. “Many are still searching for oxygen, and we have realised that the Capital needs a long-term sustainable solution for such a crisis. We’ve a group of over 500 students from the college, who are trying to raise ₹35 lakhs for this project. Also, volunteering for this initiative doesn’t require the students to step out amid the pandemic, and thus ensures their safety as well,” says Arushi Mahajan, a second year B Com (Hons) student.

Unused medicines for some, useful for some others

Burning the midnight oil are more that 150 students of St. Stephen’s College, who are volunteering for different endeavours towards Covid relief. “We’ve partnered with a mother-daughter duo — Supriya Malik and Sahria — who run Covid Medicine Recycle, an initiative that collects unused medicines and provides it to others in need. While Supriya and Sahria handle the pick up and drop-off of the medicines, we are creating a database of donors and beneficiaries for them,” informs Anushca Thomas, a second year History (Hons) student.

Students of St Stephen’s have partnered with Supriya Malik and Sahria, who run an initiative that collects unused medicines and provides them to those in need.

Alongside medicines, Stephanians are also helping put together important resources. Susan Maria Mathew, a second year student of the college, says, “We’re working on clearing doubts of people who wish to help kids who have lost both the parents to Covid. We’re also helping the non teaching staff on premises, by providing them information on vaccination. And we are even circulating a fundraiser among our alumni, to help those who are in need. This is the least we can do to help others.”

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

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