“I realised that making them happy made me happier. It sounds selfish but it’s true,” says Vibha Tomar, a Delhi-based veterinary student, who feeds stray dogs in Delhi, a habit she picked up during the lockdown. On International day of Happiness today, youngsters in the Capital say the pandemic made them realise true happiness lies in helping others.
“It started with 50 dogs, and I ended up feeding 350 dogs on a daily basis. During the lockdown all the people were safe at their homes but the strays had nowhere to go, and depended on leftover food given by people outside the markets, restaurants, hotels, schools, colleges and offices. I made posters which said that strays do not transmit Covid-19 virus and they needed our help. I was so happy because those posters went viral on social media and were even shared by some Bollywood actors which helped circulate my message,” Tomar says, adding, “I started an initiative of tying reflective collars to stray dogs to avoid major accidents and have collared more than 1000 strays till now. I also made tyre beds for them, and I am so happy that many people have come forward to help strays.”
While Tomar cares for strays, in another part of the city, 17-year-old twins, Asheer and Asees Kandhari, run a Covid-19 helpline with an intention to assist people in distress. “In the early days of the lockdown, we realised many underprivileged people, who had been laid off, were unable to provide for themselves. So we started the initiative to provide food and medicines to those in need,” says Asheer. They also partnered with food outlets, and took help from volunteers to distribute the resources. “The police also helped us out and we had many students from Delhi University who helped us with the delivery of the necessities to villages in the city,” says Asees, adding, “The helpline is still functional but now instead of food, people call in to ask help with sourcing covid supplies such as oxygen cylinders, so we are doing that at the moment.”
{{/usCountry}}While Tomar cares for strays, in another part of the city, 17-year-old twins, Asheer and Asees Kandhari, run a Covid-19 helpline with an intention to assist people in distress. “In the early days of the lockdown, we realised many underprivileged people, who had been laid off, were unable to provide for themselves. So we started the initiative to provide food and medicines to those in need,” says Asheer. They also partnered with food outlets, and took help from volunteers to distribute the resources. “The police also helped us out and we had many students from Delhi University who helped us with the delivery of the necessities to villages in the city,” says Asees, adding, “The helpline is still functional but now instead of food, people call in to ask help with sourcing covid supplies such as oxygen cylinders, so we are doing that at the moment.”
{{/usCountry}}The pandemic year did bring with it a sense of despondence but youngsters in the city tried to help others battle negativity with love and support. “I saw so many people who lost their jobs, and even loved ones. I wanted to spread some positivity so I started dance and yoga classes for the underprivileged kids,” describes Anjali Soni, a student of Indraprastha College for Women. She adds, “I had around 14 kids who came everyday to learn how to dance, and I also conducted classes online for others. And I am still taking classes for them! For me, making them smile is the biggest reward.”
Author tweets @bhagat_mallika
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