These Stories of Hope Are Sure to Bring a Smile on Your Face During These Difficult Times!

A happy Monday to all you wonderful people! 

These are difficult times and we are constantly plagued with news of despair, pain and loss. Grappling with the highly fatal second wave is taking a massive toll, not only on our physical health, but also our mental and emotional well-being. Whether or not you and your loved ones have been directly affected by the COVID-19 virus, emotional and psychological fatigue is rampant among us than ever before.

In times like these, we tend to get drowned in the negativity, and in turn,  overlook any news that could be inspiring, happy and motivating. So I am excited to bring to you an exclusive weekly column, 'A Little Dose of Joy' , a roundup of good news from across the country! I hope that reading these stories helps you start you Monday on a hopeful note.

1. When care-givers turned into buddies to offer that much needed dose of joy to Covid patients

Despite being overworked, and super stretched, medical professionals are becoming a tremendous support system of the COVID-19 patients and in order to make them feel good. To keep the patient morale high, doctors are being seen singing songs, dancing and trying every means to lighten the mood on social media to infuse the much-needed positivity around.

2. A 29 year old, has helped build a Covid hospital from farming waste, addressing two of the most relevant needs!

Shriti Pandey, a civil engineer from Gorakhpur has helped in building a Covid hospital near Patna, with zero water usage using crop stubble. Every year, stubble burning leads to massive pollution in north India, however she has found a way of converting this into building material. And this technology was deployed during the Covid crisis. In a span of 8 months, her eco-friendly technique was used to build a 6000 sq. ft. hospital addressing the Covid requirement.

Shriti's innovation is bringing joy to the environment as well as to Covid patients!

3. Some farewells are extremely joyous occasions, calling for celebrations!

In times of the pandemic, celebrations are rare. But when hospitalised COVID patients recover and head home, it is not just a joyous moment for them and their families, but as much for the doctors and the hospital staff. The Krishna Super Specialty Hospital in Kanpur has been giving such celebratory send offs to their cured and discharged patients, which is a heartwarming event for anyone who witnesses it.

Any hospital discharge is a big dose of joy occasion, but particularly so for everyone who is cured of Covid!

4. While humans battled the virus, The Dog House in Pune took care of their pets

Pune has been the epicenter of the second wave of the pandemic. In times like these when the pet parents were unable to take care of their furry children due to hospitalization or isolation, the Dog House, a kennel service took in their pets for the duration and ensured to the well being of the canines.

A much needed dose of joy for animals who cannot be locked up in homes for days together!

5. An Uttar Pradesh businessman is refilling oxygen cylinders for Re.1!

Yogesh Agarwal, a steel factory owner from Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh is refilling oxygen cylinders for 1 Rupee. The factory has a capacity of refilling 1,000 liters of oxygen per day, which is given to the patients. Incidentally, Yogesh himself was struck by COVID in 2020, and hence understands the importance of oxygen in the treatment process.

It goes on to say a lot about how not much is needed to spread joy around, just a big heart would do!

6. Covid survivor launches a first of its kind Shikara ambulance in Srinagar!

Having faced a nightmare in reaching the hospital when he was infected with Covid, Srinagar resident Tariq Ahmad Patloo, has launched an ambulance on a Shikara. For houseboat residents on Srinagar’s Dal Lake, reaching a hospital in case of Covid-related complications is a massive challenge. The ambulance will help thousands of people who live on and in the perimeter of the Dal Lake.

The hardworking boatmen of Srinagar are truly the dose of Joy the residents need!

7. Implementing lockdown in its true sense, the women of MP set a joyful example!

A village in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district doesn't have a single case of Covid-19, thanks to the women of the village. The women folk of the village have barred the entry of any outsider into the village, and have imposed strict restrictions within the village where residents aren't allowed to move about freely without a valid reason. It is the women who stand guard at the village entry point, armed with sticks to prevent anyone entering.

The women guarding the entrance of their village surely added a little dose of joy to our day, what about you?

8. International Aid flows into India, bringing in the much needed joy to Covid warriors!

After some initial hiccups, countries across the world are sending aid - financial as well as material, to assist India in its fight against the virus. While the US Administration has announced a USD 100mn assistance to India, the European Commission is sending urgently needed oxygen, medicine and equipment. 6,608 Oxygen Concentrators, 3,856 Oxygen Cylinders, 14 Oxygen Generation Plants, 4,330 ventilators/ Bi PAP/ C PAP and more than 3L Remdesivir vials have been delivered/ dispatched, so far

We need more countries to come forward and spread a little dose of Joy!

If you are still not smiling, check this out:

Here is a video that guarantees to make all the 'Mogambos' out there 'khush'

Chris Gayle, the West Indian star is known to entertain audiences on and off the field. A recent video of him rendering the epic Amrish Puri dialogue “Mogambo Khush Hua”, has got the netizens in splits. A much needed break from all the heart breaking news around, this video has got audiences applauding the Jamaican’s Hindi speaking skills.

Hope this curation made you smile just a little, just enough to offer some respite during these times. See you next Monday with more such doses of Joy!

Did you like these stories? Did they bring a smile to your face? Let us know in the comments below. If you have any such positive, inspiring pandemic stories to share, you could tell us in the comments or send a DM on the Tripoto chat.