The second wave of Covid-19 has affected the country massively with people running from pillar to post for hospital beds and oxygen. Amidst the crisis, Dhruv Mantri, a class X student at The Shri Ram School in Gurugram, has collaborated with NGO Milaap to raise funds in order to donate oxygen concentrators and oximeters to the needy. In less than a week, he has raised more than Rs. 645,000 towards this cause.

Through this noble cause, Dhruv aims to help critical Covid-19 patients in Kuchaman city of Rajasthan. “I read numerous reports about people who have lost their lives due to unavailability of oxygen support. I understood that it was a very critical matter and wanted to give back to the community. Hence, I decided to start this fundraiser and save as many lives as I can through this initiative,” said Dhruv, who recently recovered from Covid-19 himself.

Dhruv added, “I first wanted to target raising ₹2,00,000 thinking even this wouldn’t be easy, but my father motivated me to set a target to raise ₹5,00,000 so that it’s meaningful and more people can benefit. In the beginning of April, my family was infected with coronavirus. First my mother, my brother, then me and my father. Fortunately, my family and I weren’t affected severely. I realised how hard it can be specially when people do not have enough support. After we all tested negative, I saw my dad multiple times speaking on the phone to arrange for oxygen cylinders, plasma, beds, and other vital essentials for people. A few days later I read on the news that 25 people who were infected with Covid-19 had died in one day. The deaths though, were not due to the coronavirus but because of the lack of oxygen. I was shocked!”

Appreciating this and similar initiatives by children, Shalini Gupta, mother of 2 teenage boys said, “It’s a proud moment for us parents when we see such good initiatives by children. This shows our children are not only involved but have the empathy and love for humanity. The support given to them by the school community is also to be lauded, it is just the encouragement and direction that they need at this age. Covid-19 has created havoc but at the same time it has also made everyone come together to help each other, and to see this spirit of giving back to the community in our children, is especially heartwarming.”

There are many other school students who are coming forward to support the needy in these testing times and also raising their concern over the need to vaccinate children even as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on. Ayaan Kapoor, another student from The Shri Ram School, started a campaign #VaccinateIndianKids on Twitter, wherein the boy is appealing to the government for arranging vaccines for children in the age group of 12-17 years. His campaign has received support and appreciation from teachers, doctors and parents from across the country.

In unprecedented times like this, all support matters and only collective voice can lead to change and action.

Dhruv Mantri, is a grade X student at The Shri Ram School, Moulsari Avenue, Gurugram. He lives in Delhi with his parents and younger brother. He loves playing football and has represented his school in various tournaments. However, being now locked at home, he has recently started enjoying boxing. His inspiration for this initiative were his grandparents and his parents, and above all, a deep connect with his hometown Kuchaman in Rajasthan. 

Also read: Two Bengaluru school students distribute oximeters to the needy