On August 27, Marika Isabel Mary Gabriel, a journalist who hails from Hyderabad, put out a tweet about an urgent requirement at St Joseph’s Secondary School, a school that her family runs for the underprivileged in Secunderabad’s Marredpally. As classes have now gone online, there was a requirement for teachers to have computers or laptops to take the online classes. The tweet, shared below, had urged people to help with second-hand laptops.
Please help: My family runs a school in Marredpally, Sec-bad for the underprivileged. COVID forced learning to shift online, but for this, we need our teachers to have laptops to conduct online classes. If you can help get us second-hand laptops for them to do so, please DM me.
— Marika lsabel Mary Gabriel (@GabrielMarika) August 27, 2020
The tweet garnered around 350 retweets and a lot of people had shared the same hoping that help would find its way. The tweet highlighted the requirement and soon Marika was flooded with inquiries and messages.
One of the many who got in touch with Marika was former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha. Soon, representatives from Telangana Jagruthi, an NGO founded by the former MP, got in touch with the school and donated 9 desktops to ensure that the classes went on uninterrupted.
While Marika took to Twitter to thank Kavitha for her generosity, she also posted a video of Beula Gabriel, the principal of the school, thanking the former MP for her donation. The principal said, “We thank you for your contribution, you really have no idea what this means to us. This is a great contribution to the school and the students. Somehow, I feel, this is the start of some great things that are going to happen in the school.”
The management and staff of St Joseph’s Secondary School are deeply grateful for the generosity of @RaoKavitha who donated desktops for the school to begin online classes! Her efforts will go a long way to make the school shine during this trying time. Thank you Kavitha akka! pic.twitter.com/6Iiq6lFWdy
— Marika lsabel Mary Gabriel (@GabrielMarika) September 3, 2020
Soon, the former MP too tweeted acknowledging the video shared, she said, “Marika, please send my regards to Mrs. Beula who has been working tirelessly to educate young children. I look forward to be able to help SJSS in all their future endeavours. My best wishes for the entire staff”.
Marika, please send my regards to Mrs. Beula who has been working tirelessly to educate young children. I look forward to be able to help SJSS in all their future endeavours. My best wishes for the entire staff https://t.co/VwQLWg9OXB
— Kavitha Kalvakuntla (@RaoKavitha) September 3, 2020
Exactly a week after Marika first put out the tweet about the requirement, she again took to Twitter to thank everyone for the contributions and to let people know that the requirement has been fulfilled. Speaking to TNM about the donations, Marika said, “We needed 15 laptops, Telangana Jagruthi donated 9 desktops, a twitter user donated 2 laptops and few others donated money, with which the school management is in the process of buying laptops and setting it up.”
Humbled and touched by the number of people who donated to this cause, I’m thrilled to announce that donations are closed. It took one tweet to get an incredible amount of support, for which my family is ever so grateful. Thank you to everyone who contributed and spread the word! https://t.co/0VFgMADyav
— Marika lsabel Mary Gabriel (@GabrielMarika) September 3, 2020
Around a month ago, Kavita’s Telangana Jagruthi had also donated 50 computers and 500 work stations to Village Learning Circles (VLCs) that were launched by students of Telangana social welfare schools (TSWREIS & TTWREIS) to promote continuity of studies, especially in rural and tribal regions of Telangana while schools remained closed during the time of lockdown.
