ALL HEART

For Hemkunt Foundation’s Harteerath Singh the year has been a lesson in hope and resilience

- KIMAYA INGALE

At the height of its devastation, the second coronavirus wave that racked the country saw death and misery in multitude. But the good that came out of this disaster was the outpouring of humanity, in equal measure or more. Many found their lives’ purpose in volunteer work for the greater good; this happens to be true of Harteerath Singh, the strapping community development director at the Hemkunt Foundation.

The foundation was at the forefront of facilitating relief efforts in 21 Indian states during the second wave. The widespread support from citizens and celebrities enabled the foundation to save scores of lives in a country left gasping for breath. Singh oversaw operations both in the back-end and the front. He tells me how his lifestyle underwent a complete change during this tumultuous time: “My days used to start as early as 8 am and end as late as 2 am. We (the team) used to eat our first meal (of the day) at 3 or 4 pm, which used to be something as basic as a cold coffee. When you’re inside a Covid-19 ward, it’s difficult to have a complete meal because you’re wearing a PPE kit as well; which is why we used to drink a lot of water and not have a lot of food.” He laughs and agrees with me when I point out that he seemed to be functioning purely on adrenaline. Well, that and, as he tells me, resorting to energy drink supplements.