#CovidCrusader: It's true what they say—not all heroes wear capes. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the warriors of today are the ones that wear a mask. In our very first Digital-only issue, Vivel and Femina are introducing you to those brave souls who are breaking the norms, risking their lives on a daily basis to make sure that people in need don't go hungry, everyone around you is well protected against the virus, stray animals are fed and taken care of.
Meet one such hero: Toolika Gupta.
The coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown have hit the society most at two levels; those who are working in the medical field, sanitation, police forces, municipal corporations, and so on, who have to be out and about ensuring people are safe—from COVID-19 and even otherwise—and those who depend on daily wages for survival and cannot work in the current situation. Jaipur-based Toolika Gupta, director, Indian Institute of Craft and Design (IICD), Jaipur, saw the problems of the daily wage earners and decided to do whatever she could to help.
“I am closely associated with many artisans like block printers, woodcarvers, lac artisans, weavers, dyers, potters etc, who have been directly impacted. I was upset when I watched the news on TV as well. Several designer friends and ex-students called me saying buyers have refused to pay them and they, in turn, found it difficult to pay the karigars,” Gupta says.
She then thought of it from a dual aspect. First, their immediate survival, and second, their safety. “The immigrants and artisans needed to be fed, because if the lockdown continues till mid-April, how will they survive? Secondly, they are at risk, so they need masks. We at the institute could use our contacts and have tailors make the masks, so we generate work for them as well,” the 46-year-old elaborates.
Happy to report that her staff was fully on board with her idea, Gupta said she could also mobilise IICD’s CSR funds to make the masks. The staff members had already willingly donated a portion of their salaries in feeding the artisans. The faculty members also mobilised their lab assistants, who were already home in remote areas, to learn how to make the masks and work on them. “The masks were delivered to IICD in a newspaper delivery van. We then sanitised and distributed them. One of the staff members coordinated with the police and other groups to distribute the food and the masks,” Gupta informs.
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The IICD hostel mess staff was mobilised to cook and distribute 400 food packets on a daily basis. Apart from the pooled resources of the staff, Gupta banked on word of mouth among friends and family for further contributions, and that went a long way. “We have requests from volunteers in Delhi and Jaisalmer also for helping with food essentials, so we’ve sent monetary assistance for a slum in Delhi,” she says.
From watching the problems on TV late in March to getting the process in place on the same day, Gupta and co-workers acted fast. They now have requests from NGOs. “Several NGOs have contacted us, and we have distributed the mask-making to them as well. We are distributing food in areas where we get requests from. Yesterday, it was in the puppet makers’ slum and a day before in the block printers’ colony,” Gupta adds. She and her staff are working in conjunction with the government and police to ensure they reach as many needy people as they can.
Also Read: Lockdown Tales: This Punekar Helps The Elderly With Basic Necessities
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