The Ahvaan team is a community of talented, committed individuals with different strengths and a common bond – we are Ahvaanis! The community learns together, plays together and supports each other. Each one of us has been able to stay strong during the pandemic, in spite of deep grief and personal loss, due to the compassion and love that has held us together through our weekly Friday Circle Times.
Mrs. Anjali Arora
Ahvaan’s Education Adviser
(21st June 1947 - May 5th 2021)
While Team Ahvaan continued to work hard across all verticals, it was against the background of unprecedented personal loss for many team members. None more so than the passing of our first Education Adviser, our much loved Mrs Anjali Arora, or Anjali Aunty as she was fondly called.
As a team, we were held together by the support we gave each other and which in turn, we extended to our stakeholders. Many members of Team Ahvaan continue to battle the challenges with their own health, with courage and resilience, as we move forward to 2022!
Some shared experiences of
their fight against COVID
What Covid left in its wake…. reflections of an ‘Ahvaani’ By Samina Alam
As the second wave raged, wreaking havoc in the lives of family, friends and neighbours, perhaps like many others I too believed that it would just about miss touching me this time as well; or worse, I would contract a mild strain and ‘We’ (Covid & I) Would be even.
मेरा नाम पूर्णिमा है 1 मुझे 9 अप्रैल 2021 को कोविड सकारात्मक पाया गया, लक्षण मुझे पहले ही बन गए थे 1 मेरा हौसला जैसे टूट रहा हो और मुझे कुछ भी समझ नहीं आ रहा था तब आह्वान ने मेरा मार्गदर्शन किया और आह्वान के सम्पूर्ण सहयोग से मुझे डॉक्टर सही समय पर उपलब्ध हो सके! मुझे कोविड सकारात्मक पाए जाने पर आह्वान परिवार के सभी सदस्यों ने , सहकर्मियों ने , अभिभावकों ने मेरी हिम्मत बड़ाई , मुझे धीरज दिया, मुझे इस बीमारी से
What Covid left in its wake…. reflections of an ‘Ahvaani’ By Samina Alam
As the second wave raged, wreaking havoc in the lives of family, friends and neighbours, perhaps like many others I too believed that it would just about miss touching me this time as well; or worse, I would contract a mild strain and ‘We’ (Covid & I) Would be even.
It was not to be so. My husband was the first to develop a temperature and very soon I followed suit. Things continued to get worse by the day. A week later, my CT scan showed 50% damage in my lungs. When I was advised of hospitalization by our family physician in Kolkata, I felt I wouldn’t make it. It was only 2 days earlier that a dear colleague of mine had lost her mother. At least 10-12 members in my family were battling the disease; some among them were critical, so I had little hope of return. After the initial panic, I resigned myself to all that was happening around me. Every breath was an effort with the infection spreading fast, but I had my pillar of support right beside me, who despite his own condition, took over… how quickly our roles were reversed.
There is something very isolating and debilitating about Covid-19. It strikes hard at your spirit and denies you that elixir; the warmth and closeness of loved ones when you need it the most. The healing touch of one’s own has a power that perhaps no medicine in the world can match.
What I cherish and will always remember fondly is the love and concern of the Ahvaan family. I received bundles of affection and hopeful prayers for my speedy recovery. Whether it be videos and images of pruning exercises, home recipes to keep the cold and fever in check, suggestions on home delivery of food for Covid patients, advice on diet, medicines, oxygen concentrators and doctors, I was surrounded with love. Every message that I and Shourie received had a gentle enquiry, trying to hide the fear and concern- “How are you feeling today? Hope you’re feeling better!”
This virus leaves a long trail behind; it doesn’t like to be forgotten very easily. I am one among the hundreds and thousands with lingering ‘Long Covid’ symptoms. Recovery is a slow process- two steps forward, one step backwards. There are days when I feel bright and buoyant; others when getting out of bed is an effort. Amidst all this, the compassionate support that I have received is heartwarming and my gratitude, heartfelt. I was given the time to recover at my pace and work only once I felt fit. I’m not sure many organizations will have this kind of heart. Ahvaan has a beautiful soul, reflected in every single team member. ‘Family’, ‘Team’, ‘Compassion’, are not mere words; they come to life here at Ahvaan and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of this amazing family.
Some Ahvaan stories….
मेरा नाम पूर्णिमा है 1 मुझे 9 अप्रैल 2021 को कोविड सकारात्मक पाया गया , लक्षण मुझे पहले ही बन गए थे 1 मेरा
हौसला जैसे टूट रहा हो और मुझे कुछ भी समझ नहीं आ रहा था तब आह्वान ने मेरा मार्गदर्शन किया और आह्वान के
सम्पूर्ण सहयोग से मुझे डॉक्टर सही समय पर उपलब्ध हो सके ! मुझे कोविड सकारात्मक पाए जाने पर आह्वान
परिवार के सभी सदस्यों ने , सहकर्मियों ने , अभिभावकों ने मेरी हिम्मत बड़ाई , मुझे धीरज दिया, मुझे इस बीमारी से
बाहर आने में आप सब का पूरा योगदान है , आप सभी का साथ है 1 जूम मीटिंग जिन दिनों मै सांस में तकलीफ का
सामना कर रही थी।शरीरिक ही नहीं मानसिक तोर पर भी कमजोर लग रही थी पर जूम मीटिंग में आप सब के
हौसले से मुझे इस परिस्थिति से बाहर आने में मदद की , बैंक्यू टीम आह्वान 1 जब सभी के साथ अनुभव साँझा किया
तब मुझे ये हौसला मिला कि मुझे यहाँ से बाहर आना है।
जैसे एक अभिभावक अपने बच्चे का ख्याल रखते है , वैसे ही आह्वान ने मुझे मेरे अभिभावक की तरह साथ दिया है।
मुझे भावनात्मक , साहसिक सहयोग दिया जैसे मुझे लगता था - चिंता मत करो हम आपके साथ है , सब कुछ ठीक हो
जाएगा , मै खुद पर सभी का आशीर्वाद महसूस करती थी, करती हूँ। मै अपना भरोसा खोती जा रही थी , मुझे ऐसा
लगता था कि क्या मै जीवित रह सकूँगी ? पर सभी के आशीर्वाद से मुझे जीवनदान मिला , प्रार्थना / मंत्रो के उच्चारण
से सभी आह्वान सदस्यों को सुरक्षा प्राप्त हुई। हम सबकी परिवार की तरह एक दूसरे के लिए प्रार्थना, एकजुटता और
सही मार्गदर्शन से इस बीमारी का सामना कर सकें।
सही और स्टिक समय पर मार्गदर्शन, डाक्टरी मार्गदर्शन के लिए मेरे पूरे दिल से आह्वान का बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद ।
पूरे आदर के साथ आदरणीय ईश्वर एवं आदरणीय आह्वान परिवार का धन्यवाद !
