Page 4 - June 2021

CMS FIGHTS CORONA JUNE 2021 (4)

As the pandemic raged furiously, together we fought and we did it!

Valour stories of CMS students and teachers

Friends that become Family The Iron Lady
“There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that The visionary Senior Principal of CMS Kanpur Road Campus,
become family.” Dr (Mrs) Vineeta Kamran believes in being a leader who is inspiring
When COVID first struck my family in April, I did not realise how bad and co–operative. She has time and again risen to the occasion and
things would become- and how seamlessly colleagues, students and their surmounted all the challenges with ease and thereby displayed her
guardians would become family, eager to do as much as they could to sublime devotion to the institution and its pupils.
Shilpi Agarwal Dr (Mrs) Vineeta Kamran In the testing time of pandemic, despite herself being infected with
tide me through the storm. It was the 10th of April, when my husband
followed by my mom, developed mild COVID symptoms. In no time, I too had fallen prey COVID and quarantined at home, she did not stop working and did not
to the virus with severe symptoms. With no one else at home, even putting food on the allow the affliction to subdue her spirits. She was regularly conducting meetings,
taking feedbacks and was in touch with her entire staff. She keept an eye on the
plate was difficult. As soon as they came to know, my friends from CMS Gomti Nagar progress of the students and the welfare of her staff, attended her other official tasks
took over and ensured a continuous supply of breakfast, lunch and dinner. and commitments besides overseeing all school activities and online programmes. She
My students’ fathers who are doctors: Dr Usman, and Dr Upadhyay prescribed was accessible to the staff members and was always ready to provide any help they
medicines and blood tests, even going so far getting my samples collected from home. needed in those trying times. Truly, she is the shaper, the light and the lifeline of the
In the meanwhile, my husband’s condition worsened and he had to get a CT scan Campus, truly the Iron Lady of CMS Kanpur Road. Her indefatigable nature, unbeatable
done. Despite losing her own father to COVID, my dear friend and colleague Shan zeal and unconquerable spirit are really commendable.
Ma’am took my husband for his CT Scan. My husband’s CT scan report and his high
sugar level were worrying and I turned to my Coordinator Sushama Ma’am, who Using Social Media as a tool to Help
immediately arranged an online consultation with a diabetologist. Her husband, The second phase of the pandemic has made everyone helpless! There is
Dr. Rajkumar helped us to procure the medicine within an hour. These names are but a a shortage of almost every necessary medical resource.
drop in the ocean of people who rallied around me supporting me emotionally and At such a time I also decided to help people while still being in the
physically. I came through it but it could not have been possible without my dear boundaries of my home. I joined an initiative named the "Covid info
friends from CMS. force" by Swapna Foundation, under which we have compiled a database
Shilpi Agarwal , Teacher CMS Cambridge Section of all the verified contacts of hospitals, oxygen cylinder/refilling, ambulances and a lot
of other things that are needed at this time and we are updating the people on the
Giving a new lease on life to stray animals NGOs social media as well..
Being an ardent animal welfare enthusiast, when I am handling the social media of the NGO and we have posted 250+ verified leads till
Srishti Srivastava, an Assistant Teacher at CMS, now. I am helping them out by creating custom templates and regularly updating them
Rajajipuram Campus II came to know about the on the NGOs official instagram handle. Instagram: instagram.com/ourswapna
lockdown in Lucknow due to COVID-19, her thoughts With this little effort we are reaching and helping hundreds of people daily.
immediately darted to the stray dogs which were Jaspreet Singh , Class XII-C, CMS Rajajipuram Campus I
dependent upon passers-by and shopkeepers to feed
them daily and otherwise, left to starve. She knew that My Battle with Corona :
the dogs had no other source of food considering all Gardening and Music helped me tide over Corona times
food establishments and street vendors were shut, leaving them and thousands of My days of isolation proved to be the days of self- discovery, self-
other street animals with no reliable source of food and water during this period. empowerment and spiritual awakening. My companion in my isolation
Fortunately, she wasn't alone in her thoughts for them and was supported by her room was a painting made by my mother, showing Lord Krishna with
husband and a few friends. Since the lockdown announcement Srishti has been an open mouth, breathing out fire and devouring soldiers on the
regularly feeding around 70 street dogs along a 5-kilometre route stretching from her battlefield of Kurukshetra. It was the 11th chapter of Bhagwad Gita in which Krishna
residence to the other corners of Rajajipuram. It is by far the most gratifying shows his 'Viraat Roop' (gigantic form) to Arjuna and the message is, 'I have already
experience for her during these uncertain times. Rajajipuram Campus II decided the destiny of people and killed the mightiest of warriors, then why do you
not fight and perform your duty ( karma)? I will decide the fate of people, do not
Shattered but Strong grieve...' It helped me get over the sorrow of those whom we lost to Corona. Outside
my room were some plants. I knew the earth needed healing, it was taking its revenge
Abhishek Srivastava of Class XII-B, CMS Station Road Campus exhibited on people. I did my bit and spent time gardening. Closeness to nature and greenery
exceptional courage during the pandemic by continuing to attend Online was a balm. I also listened to my favourite songs and bhajans on my mobile and every
Classes even when he lost his father who was affected by COVID-19. evening, I performed a small 'Havan’ chanting the 'Gayatri Mantra'. No TV and no
Though he himself suffered from it, it did not deter him from attending his depressing news. It was Nature and God which healed me and empowered my soul to
online classes even for a day. Salute to our 'Great Hero'. fight the dreaded disease victoriously.
Dr Preeti Shankar Chief Editor, CMS
,
An Act of Help
The raging pandemic has left homes, hospitals, and cremation grounds My Fight with Covid-19
exhausted and overwhelmed. The demand for oxygen has spiked and its During the second day of the first lockdown, I was diagnosed with
price has shot up in an unprecedented manner. People are forced to Covid-19 and the harsh period I faced is too terrible to describe. When
seek oxygen from black markets at inflated prices that they cannot I recovered from the virus in ten days, I realized that this time was not
afford. of sitting at home but helping others too.
It was quite hard for me to see people As soon as I recovered completely, I started helping my friends with
dying due to financial issues. Following the directions pdfs, books, photos and also solved their queries regarding studies. In
from doctors who are currently at the frontline of fact, I was facing some storage problems but I solved them by various tricks and
Covid resistance, it was believed that Oxygen unknown but miraculous computer applications. It required hard work but I also
Concentrators can be a viable option after oxygen learned something new.
cylinders. I also started a Youtube channel to make people aware of
I, along with another student-run organisation, started the news and check it's veracity, as a lot of information
a fundraiser by organising various competitions like Creative Writing, Art & Painting, about the virus was spreading but I tried to first check all
Photography, etc. All the proceedings from the competition have been directly used to the information. I soon started gaining subscribers in large
procure oxygen concentrators for the underprivileged Covid-19 patients and we are in numbers as it was a trending topic. The money I got from
talks with a few more suppliers who can procure them. Each concentrator can be Youtube in cash was donated to charity by my father. I
reused over and over. We may redistribute the number of concentrators across also had to attend online classes. Thankfully, my father
Lucknow depending upon the caseload. helped me in editing so I could easily carry on with my
Helping others buoyed me mentally because it directs our focus away from scary work. Slowly when we started going out, we helped people by providing masks, sanitizers
abstractions and back toward concrete, solvable problems. and gloves to the needy. I am also thinking of starting membership plans on this channel
Arnav Gupta, XII H, CMS Aliganj Campus I which will provide them with information and one oximeter.
This period was a period of self-realization as from a self-centered boy, I became a
Life Goes On helping person. I was largely supported by my parents and some friends. Let us all
Teachers of the senior section of CMS Kanpur Road unite to help each other and beat the virus. Let us save humanity.
were shocked on hearing the news of demise of the Himanshu Priyadarshi, IX A, CMS Aliganj Campus I
parents of their student, Anushka Singh of Class XII on
7th May 2021. It was unbelievable that the girl shared A Story of Courage and Valour that Inspired Me
the news with her class teacher Mr Vaibhav Srivastav,
with a resolve to rejoin her online classes as early as possible. In every news channel you hear, today COVID-19 doesn't fail to enter. This
deadly virus has swallowed nearly the entire population and has
disrupted numerous families. In this scenario, encouraging news about
Moving on with Courage one's courage and valour does give a sense of relief. Having a front line
The cruel Coronavirus took away the worker in my family gives me great pride. My grandmother is a Health
mother and grandmother of Ananya Dutta Supervisor who supervises and vaccinates the people against COVID-19. Even when
of Class VII and Arindam Dutta of Class VI, this pandemic is still spreading, my grandmother's courage has not altered as she takes
who had already lost their father two it a part of her responsbility to serve the others. I salute her valour, her dedication, her
years ago in a car accident. The kids are courage and her solidarity. Nobody can be more inspirational for me than her!
now being nurtured by their aunt along with her own two children. The family is going Aditya Pratap Singh Negi , X A, CMS Rajajipuram Campus
strong in these tough times and the children are even attending their online classes.

“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” – Brad Henry