How an alumni network is offering help online during lockdown

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Ambala's Manav Chowk wears a deserted look during the lockdown
(Photo: Sourced)

As Haryana enters day 6 of a nationwide lockdown, there are still scores of people stranded away from their homes and families. People among different age groups are looking for innovative ideas to offer help amidst these challenging times. Here in Ambala, there are around five volunteers who have registered with Alma Connect, a platform connecting alumni of different colleges and universities, who have registered to offer help for local accommodation (India & abroad) and local support for parents/relatives, if the person is living away.
Prakhar Aggarwal, 27, a teacher at a private educational institute in Ambala and an alumnus of IIT-BHU (Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University) is optimistic that this can prove helpful for many. “The idea is fabulous but I’m yet to receive any call for help. Last month I was on a trip to Sikkim and if lockdown would have happened then, I would be in a dire need for a place and platforms like these are really helpful in such times. Here, I’m ready to support anyone who approaches me with food and a place to live as much as I can afford.”   
Started last week, the alumni networking portal is sending e-mails to alumni of every college and university in their database, asking for help. More than 5,000 people from around 60 countries have listed their names and contact details through Google forms with the network offering help. Renuka, another Ambala resident and a final year student of DCRUST (Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology), Murthal, said, “Now, almost everyone uses the internet, so such ideas can spread easily and help those in a problem.”     
Working at a private firm in Mumbai, Saurav Mahajan, a graduate from Thapar University in Punjab, he is back in town due to lockdown. A resident of a colony near Manav Chowk in Ambala, he said, “Kindness is above all but everything depends on the execution. I guess those who have registered with it are up for help for everyone.” Talking about this initiative, Dhruv Sogani, COO of Alma Connect, says that a few people have received help because of this network during this lockdown.
“As of now, it’s difficult to analyze who has received help because such people contact directly to the network on details provided for the particular area. But a couple of users from Noida in Uttar Pradesh and San Diego in the United States wrote to us telling about their experience of getting local assistance through our network. So, this kind of volunteering in any form, food or accommodation is helping people stranded away from homes,” Dhruv added.

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