My assumption that I would have been one of the very few who would have turned up to be a volunteer was shattered on my first visit to The Department of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) office in March. I was one of 5000 at that point in time. 4,999 of whom were up and running almost 4 weeks before I went there.
This Crisis has shown the world that when I becomes V by stretching your arms to unite as US, the journey towards post COVID becomes blissfully fulfilling.
My journey started with filling up a google form for Corona Warriors, a call from DIPR and meeting with key stakeholders to plan distribution of physical ID cards for volunteers. Each one in that room was a volunteer. However, when I had to choose between this and cycling as a Relief Rider, I had to let go former.
Relief Riders was a movement started by BicycleMayor of Bengaluru, to help senior and immobile citizens with essentials on a bicycle. We recorded a whopping 250+ sorties right across Bengaluru in just a couple of months. Mention of a couple of rides is essential here.
- A kid on hearing aid for both ears, was using just one to aptly use available batteries (lack of availability). Our network of cyclists found these batteries in one part of Bengaluru and a relay of 5 cyclists delivered it to a smiling child.
- A person in Electronic City needs Oral Chemo medicine for his ailing Mother, it was available only at one hospital in Bengaluru. We pulled it off by doing a relay of 4 cyclists.
- An old age home needed groceries for 12 dwellers, a group of four cyclists, completed this in one go.
We have in excess of 250 such stories in ReliefRiders.
Each such ride resulted in a few sighs of relief and smiles at the recipient's home. Also, it showed us the watery eyes that wanted to greet us the way they could have greeted us PRE COVID.
The gesture by the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru to invite us over on our bicycles and extending their gratitude was an icing on the cake.
With Unlock in progress, and reduced relief calls, focus shifted to Home Quarantine Neighbourhood Watch and Care task. The task of calling, consoling, convincing and re-assuring the citizens under home quarantine is being run by only volunteers. Each call to a new person is to spread awareness and hope.
One of the doctors in a WhatsApp video was mentioning about roles and responsibilities of each citizen in helping severely stressed administration in this first of its kind crisis. At this point in time, these wouldn't be called giving it back, it would working together as US.
Just look around and get going. We-I-Are-US.
Ciao!
