Corona Box Round 3

Last year during the pandemic, Grade 11 students Shaunak and Kushagra decided to help out in the fight against the hardships of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown. They did this by raising funds and assembling kits, organising an initiative to reach people who were in the front line, starting with police officers at the different checkpoints in Bangalore. The team has now completed their third round of ‘Covid-Kit’ distributions, and we reached out to Shaunak and Kushagra to find out more about their endeavours.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all frontline workers and those working especially hard during these difficult times –  Shaunak and Kushagra, Grade 11

The Covid-Kit is an initiative that aims showing appreciation towards those working hard amidst the COVID-19 pandemic by handing out kits that include cloth masks, juice, water and a small snack. The initiative was started in the months of June to August in 2020, which were some of the most crucial months after the lockdown, where people were struggling the most. “We go around town distributing kits to a particular group of people each round”, says Shaunak and Kushagra, who initially saw how many frontline workers were not getting enough appreciation. They started with the police force in Bangalore by going to more than 15 checkpoints and delivered more than 1000 kits to policemen and volunteers.

Coming up with the idea of distributing ‘Covid-Kits’, Shaunuk and Kushagra worked hand in hand with Mr.Dilip Kumar and other senior officials in the police department who helped them plan and deliver the first two rounds. “We then realised how this small act of kindness brought smiles to their faces. We then thought to ourselves, why don't we embark on a journey to make everyone working hard smile”, says Shaunak and Kushagra, who in this round have been to seven construction sites, handing out 350 kits as an act of kindness to make the construction workers’ day.

Today Covid-kits are being distributed all across Bangalore. Shaunak and Kushagra fund the initiative with their own saving in addition to money they have raised from friends and family. They try to be cost efficient by buying masks and other supplies in bulk, and make the kits themselves for distribution. “We aim at expanding at new professions for the upcoming rounds with the aim of completing 5,000 by June 2021, 1 year from when we started”, says the two students who will go ahead and distribute them personally while taking the necessary precautions.