KHAMMAM: At a time when we are all on the road back to normality and have conveniently started turning a blind eye to new Covid-19 cases, a 12-year-old boy is still working round-the-clock to lend a helping hand to those who contract the virus.
A Class 7 student, Jatavath Lohith is no longer a stranger to the citizens of erstwhile Khammam district. He has been working among Covid patients and frontline warriors for quite some time now. By making the best use of the pocket money being given to him by his grandmother Anasuya and others, Lohith distributes food packets to Covid patients admitted at the district headquarters hospital.
Son of Armed Reserve (AR) police constable Jatavath Krishna who works in Khammam town, Lohith came to know about the hardships being faced by Covid patients from his father who has been at the forefront of the battle since Day Zero. It did not take Lohith long to realise that he too can do his bit in the war against the deadly pandemic. The teen decided to spent the pocket money that he had been, till then, saving up and help Covid patients in dire straits.
On learning about her grandson’s kind gesture, Anasuya, who works at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, decided to gift him a huge amount so that he can buy a laptop. However, Lohith, as usual, had better plans. He, instead, requested his father to utilise the money to distribute food packet among Covid patients in distress. He found out, with that money, they can feed the patients at least once a day for a couple of weeks.
Overwhelmed by Lohith’s decision, his father Krishna also decided to support and help him fulfil his dream. As part of their endeavour, the duo started preparing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals at their home itself. And, for almost one month, they provided food packets to as many as 150 Covid patients on a daily basis.
“I was so proud of my son when he shared the idea. I immediately employed a cook to assist us in this initiative. We then decided to distribute the food packets at the district headquarters hospital since most patients who visit the hospital hail from a poor economic background. He did not stop there. As per Lohith’s idea, we distributed essential commodities such as vegetables among scores of people who became incomeless during the pandemic scenario,” a proud Krishna says. Lohith also holds a black belt in Karate and is a very bright student.
“After returning home from work, my father used to narrate the hardships being faced by Covid patients and how the pandemic has affected the livelihood of thousands of people. Listening to these stories, I felt really bad and thought of ways with which I can help those in distress. When I shared the idea with my family, they decided to support me. It’s indeed overwhelming to see smile on the faces of those who are struggling every minute. Apart from Covid patients, we also provide food to orphans living in the Annam Foundation in Khammam,” says the teen who dreams of becoming a civil service officer one day.