HR professional, Dipali Tyagi, has been cooking food for 60 Covid patients, twice a day, every day, free of cost for two weeks now

The people of NCR are suffering and dying because of crumbling health infrastructure and a dire shortage of something as basic as oxygen in hospitals and outside. Also, the number of people infected has been growing steadily—more than 3 lakh people every day for the last ten days. There would be a situation when infected people would be so large that the number of caregivers will be in shortage.

But the never-say-die attitude of the people gives some hope. There are many good samaritans who are trying to help fellow humans in these testing times unseen in independent India. 

One such woman is Dipali Tyagi, 38, who resides in Ghaziabad’s Gaur Homes—Indirapuram. She is an HR manager in a local private engineering college and has taken the responsibility to feed as many Covid-positive patients, in home isolation as possible. Many of them are students or staying away from family for work, and consider themselves blessed that Dipali came to their rescue.

It’s easier said than done.  She is home these days as school and colleges are shut sine die. So she had time, along with her altruist zeal to serve, cook lunch and dinner for Covid patients recouping in their homes. Not just that, after the food is made, she packs it in tin foils, and transports it to their houses—it’s a mega-exercise twice a day. And the most significant part is that she doesn’t charge money for a highly nutritious, balanced meal she prepares for people. “It’s my way of saying I care,” she says in Hindi and refers to herself as a “social worker”.  People can’t be left to die and we all have to do something—she means what she says.

She advertises on social media, and many have contacted her for food. She takes orders on a daily basis, for lunch till 11:30 am and for dinner till 6:00 pm. Depending on the number of orders, she prepares food.—in doing so she spends 8 hours every day in the kitchen. Her daughter, Janvi, a 13-year-old class 8 student, also lends a helping hand—chops vegetables, and helps in packing. Her husband, Atul, 40, a contractor, helps in the delivery of packed food.

“The second Corona wave is causing widespread loss of life. I couldn’t sit idle when people needed help. I discussed it with my husband Atul. We have to do something. It occurred to me—let’s provide nutritious meals to Covid patients,” she explains.

“One the very first day I prepared lunch for 19 people and dinner for 23,” she says with a sense of achievement. Now, the numbers have reached 60.

Atul was out buying vegetables on a hot Monday afternoon. “We buy provisions in bulk,” he says to cut the costs. When asked about how much the family is spending on this noble endeavour, he refrained from putting a figure. “It’s not important. I don’t want to talk about money,” he replied politely.  

Small efforts add up to big results, Dipali and her family are a great example of it. The best way to beat this pandemic is staying vigilant, taking all necessary precautions, and most importantly: helping each other.