The Gift of Giving

A friend in need is a friend indeed, is the famous saying that most of us know. But this phrase took on a whole new meaning ever since the dreaded Corona Virus or Covid-19 knocked on our doors. World-over, people have been extending a helping hand not just to friends and family but also to neighbours, house help and strangers that they never even met before. Every drop makes an ocean, and when it comes to providing COVID-19 relief every single helping hand makes a world of difference. One such helping hand is Yeshoda Karuturi.

It was a hot summer day when Yeshoda and her mother were sitting together discussing the horrible events unfurling around them. The rising number of Covid-19 cases and deaths due to lack of resources such as oxygen concentrators and PPE kits left the mother-daughter duo feeling extremely helpless and confused. It was at that moment that Yeshoda’s mother decided that they couldn’t just sit around like spectators feeling sad and sorry but instead they had to find a way to help those in need. And so the idea of Sahayagya was born.

Sahayagya, founded by Yeshoda on the 30th of April 2021, is a platform that works towards raising funds for Oxygen Concentrators, allied medical equipment and other supplies for Rural Karnataka. The young founder chose the name Sahayagya because it translates to ‘along with sacrifices’ and the organisation strives to expand one’s heart and soul while working to promote the idea that we are all one. Here at Sahayagya, every action and deed is done for the greater good of society and it feels effortless and natural.

Last year, Yeshoda along with a group of friends started to raise funds to provide free meals for migrant workers and the needy across Bangalore. They would also reach out to local farmers to buy produce directly from them so that it didn’t go to waste since they were having a tough time selling it. All in all, they distributed a whopping 45,000 kilos of vegetables across Bangalore and also supplied some to the Sikh Gurdwara who were making free meals for the needy. Yeshoda and her friends also handed out goody bags at railways stations to thousands of migrant workers heading back to their respective homes and donated 1 lakh chapatis as a daily meal service to frontline medical staff. 

This year, due to the more severe impact of the second wave, oxygen was the need of the hour in many hospitals and care centres. So, Yeshoda and her friends focused on raising money to procure multiple oxygen concentrators for the rural communities of Karnataka that were in dire need of them.

Karnataka is a vast state, and like many others in India, it has been badly affected in many districts. The reason why Sahayagya focuses on providing these much-needed resources to the rural areas of Karnataka is because they want to help those communities that aren’t highlighted as much as cities like Bangalore. At first, they started focusing on Bijapur and the areas around it by tying up with care centres to provide concentrators, masks, PPE kits and any other resources that were required.

Team Sahayagya did their best to find and source oxygen concentrator directly from reliable manufacturers. They tied up with Oxy Med and Lotus Ozone to supply these concentrators to Baggamare Hospital, Kallur Hospital, Malagi Hospital, Shifa Hospital and Al Ameen in Bijapur. They also provided Oxygen Concentrators to GIANTS Group of Garden City Bangalore, an NGO that provides oxygen to patients at home for no cost.

Yeshoda has a very hands-on approach to ensure that the money Sahayagya raises is being put to use in the correct manner. She works directly with the care centres in those rural areas to ensure that the concentrators are sent to hospitals that actually require it and that it is allotted properly. “We’re just sitting at home and we don’t know what’s happening on the ground, so it’s very helpful to have reliable people who we trust on the field to help us out,” she says. Sahayagya also recently sent across several PPE kits and Shields to crematorium workers who are working tirelessly, day and night.

Along with her friends, Yeshoda has been raising money through virtual events and fundraisers such as fitness classes, yoga classes, plant sales, bake sales, bingo nights and other activities. “It’s been a very hard time, and these events are good for mental health too,” says Yeshoda. Each of her friends uses their talents and hobbies to help plan these events from start to finish, “It’s been very nice that everyone wants to do something to help, they just need that direction to know that their efforts are going to the right place,” she added.

When Yeshoda first started raising funds, she would have been happy if she managed to raise money for even one concentrator because just a single machine can save so many people’s lives. But motivated by the number of people coming forward to help, she set a goal of providing 25 concentrators to rural Karnataka and achieved this in under just 2 weeks of fundraising. In a span of just one month, Sahayagya has now donated 45 concentrators and raised a total of Rs. 29.4 lakhs in funds through 17 events. Their new goal is to donate 100 concentrators and even more medical supplies to other rural areas of Karnataka.

If you’re interested in donating and learning more about Sahayagya, click here to visit their Instagram profile for more information.

Written By Jessica Albuquerque.

A master of being a Jack of all Trades, A method in madness some may say. I’m just a girl on a never-ending journey, Standing on the precipice of my next big story.

Week 22, June 2021