Athiya Shetty states ‘If you don’t help people now, I don’t know when you can’

Athiya Shetty is a prominent human rights activist who has aided her community through various initiatives during the spread of this harrowing pandemic.

She has been working alongside Save The Children’s NGO run by her parents and in doing so has already provided relief to almost 7,500 families across the country.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, she recently stated, “We’re providing an essential supply of grains and groceries, medical supplies and even direct cash transfers to families in parts of Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi.”

Due to the current global situation, there is more of a need to be charitable and stand up for those who are struggling as a result of the lockdown. “If we give them money, they might not be able to get the specific product they require as many shops, warehouses or organisations are shut. Moreover, stepping out to buy things only violates the norms of social distancing.”

During these times, Athiya has turned her attention towards aiding those in need, “A couple of weeks ago, we realised that some of the kids from our NGO have had cochlear implant surgeries and have to wear a hearing aid. That battery was running out and all the warehouses were shut, so we tried to reach out to different companies to try and get those specific batteries, and finally, we did get them last week.”

Athiya believes social responsibility is currently at the top of her priority list at the moment. “If you don’t help people now, I don’t know when you can. It just breaks my heart to see videos of migrants walking endlessly to go back home to their families. What the world needs right now is people helping, coming together, being united, just being better human beings, and more supportive towards the vulnerable. At the end of the day, it will make you feel better and will make the person feel a hundred times better.”