Students and faculty members of the Andhra Loyola institutions have come together to lend a helping hand to the COVID-hit population in the slums and semi-slum areas of the city.
For an effective reach-out drive, they had constituted Andhra Loyola Covid Care Task Force Team comprising Rector P. Balashowry, Principal of Andhra Loyola College (ALC) G.A.P. Kishore, Director, Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology (ALIET) Francis Xavier, Director, Youth Empowering Service- Jesuits (YES-J) B. Bala Kumar, Vice-Principal (UG) G. Rayappa, ALC staff T. Srikumar, Samuel Dayakar and Krishna Prasad, ALIET staff M. Ramakrishna and R. Anand, and treasurer, ALC Alumni Association, K. Siva Shankar.
Under their guidance, students from ALC, ALIET, Kaladarshini (cultural institute), YES-J and ALCAA fanned out in areas such as Christurajpuram, Arul Nagar, Vijaya Nagar Colony, Gangireddula Dibba, colonies inhabited by the backward Yanadis, Vadderas and Erukulas in Poranki, Penamaluru, Krishnalanka, Nunna dumping yard and Kothuru Tadepalli, and distributed medical kits, food packets, dry ration and tarpaulin sheets worth ₹15 lakh.
“Our focus was on key aspects such as educating people in the slum areas on the need to undergo COVID-19 test and organising regular camps for testing, providing isolation centre by opening the doors of our hostels, distribution of face masks, dry ration, delivery of food to families who were home quarantined, and food parcels to workers, migrants and street urchins, and distribution of tarpaulin as roof covers,” said Fr. Balashowry.
Members of the task force also provided financial assistance to the families who were unable to pay their medical bills. Counselling and spiritual support were other services extended to people to help them overcome the pandemic woes.
