Community comes first

Manjula, who lives in Semmedu, aspires to become a fashion designer. In pursuit of her college degree, she has been taking virtual classes while she also helps her family carry out daily household chores. But the third-year college student has morphed her mission into helping the most vulnerable in her community tackle the threats of the pandemic. She knew she was not going to sit on the sidelines while her community was fighting a crisis like never before.

Her father is a painter, her mother is a daily wage worker and her sister studies in Class 11. Just like Manjula, when some of these students found out about the chance to help others, their volunteer spirits arose and many have been part of the Isha team for months. From serving food, packing meals, transporting food packets and distributing essentials to senior citizens and others vulnerable - these student volunteers are always on their toes.

Guardian of the community

Hariharasudhan from Eachanari has always had dreams of becoming a police officer. At his age, the BBA student already embodies what it takes to be a guardian of the community. Joining Isha’s task force was his badge of honour and he has never looked back. He is an avid gamer and loves playing volleyball in his free time. His father works in the Booluvampatti panchayat and his mother is a daily wage worker.

For Nandhkumar, who studies at Cheran Health Science College in Coimbatore, looking out for the elderly is a cause close to his heart. The fourth-year physiotherapy student lives in Alandurai with his father, mother, younger brother and grandmother. His friend Aravind told him of the opportunity to volunteer for Isha, he never looked back. He is now an integral part of Isha’s volunteering efforts, packing food and loading the food packages from 9 in the morning to 5 in the evening every day.

Like them, many other student volunteers – Ramesh from Nallurvayal, Ranjith, who lives in Mathuvarayapuram, Gayathiri from Coimbatore, Ramprabha and Swetha from Alandurai, and Praveenkumar from Semmedu – are giving their time and commitment to join the mission to #BeatTheVirus.

Beyond their volunteering efforts, these college students are taking online classes regularly and have not halted their studies and research activities during this pandemic. Most of them come from humble backgrounds and understand the plight of the vulnerable in rural areas.