This 2-Year-Old Was One of the Youngest Rescue Volunteers during Chennai Floods

At the time when many parts of Tamil Nadu were flooded due to incessant rains last year, and thousands of people were struggling to live through every passing day, there were a few localities in Chennai that remained unaffected. A. Vicky Kumar is the resident of one such area – there were no roadblocks, no power cuts, no loss to life and property. But he was deeply moved on seeing the plight of the rest of the city and his fellow citizens. With the view of helping as much as he could, he gathered about 12 volunteers including his wife Vishakha, and they set out to help in rescue operations. They called themselves ‘The C Team’. Closing their businesses for the entire month of December, the team started visiting slums, relief camps and individual homes to deliver rescue materials like food, clothing and medicines to people in need. One of the most special volunteers of The C Team was Vicky’s 2-year-old daughter, Jiya. The student of a preschool named Developing Roots in Chennai, Jiya was a part of every field operation the team conducted.

“Many friends and well-wishers told us not to take her along for field work as she may fall sick stepping in to the dirty waters but we never bothered regarding what could happen because the need of the hour was to help the needy,” says Vishakha.

The entire team, including Jiya, were also recognized among thousands of other volunteers who put in their hearts and souls to work for Chennai, and she received a plant sapling and a certificate of appreciation from the music industry maestro Illayaraja, on December 17, 2015. Jiya will be three years old this March. Kudos to her parents who were not scared of uncertain situations and ensured that their daughter got a glimpse of what such social activities look like, to make her understand the importance of helping others in need.