After Losing Her Job, Pune Woman Ferries 60 COVID Patients to Hospital, Cremates 150

Shell India brings to us the inspiring story of Anita, whose grit and determination is testament to the fact that #GreatThingsHappenWhenWeMove. Article sponsored by Shell.

Pune-based Anita Gosavi was always passionate about driving, which she learnt while working as a school bus assistant. But after she lost her job due to Covid -19, that chapter seemed close to an end.

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“My 25-year-old son and I lost our jobs, and at this point our survival was in question. So, I decided to reach out to my brother and seek his help,” says the 41-year-old whose brother runs an ambulance service.

In the next few months, her brother tested positive for COVID-19. To help him out and manage to earn, she took up the job of driving the ambulance. Despite the adversity, this was an opportunity for her to pursue her passion while contributing to a larger cause.

“Initially, my brother was extremely worried for me and did not want me to do this risky job. But during such a crisis, this job is extremely important and I wanted to do my bit,” says Anita, who has ferried numerous COVID patients across Pune and beyond, as far as Latur and Nashik.

So far, she has transported more than 60 COVID patients to and from the hospital and taken over 150 dead bodies to the crematorium. “I have spent numerous nights in the crematorium doing the last rights of people whose families abandoned them. Sometimes, the work is non-stop for 24X7, but what keeps me motivated is the thought that if not me then who? In this circumstance we all need to come forward and do whatever we can to help,” says the COVID hero.

Every day since September 2020, has been a test of courage and perseverance for Anita. On one hand, she battled anxiety around her brother’s health and on the other, she risked her life every day to help hundreds of people. But nothing has ever been strong enough to dim her light and make her stop. Now with her brother recovered, she continues her mission to help people with a new-found fervour.

Through their campaign, ‘Great Things Happen When We Move’, Shell aims to celebrate the indomitable spirit, dreams, and aspirations of Indians like Anita. The campaign is about people who display unconquerable courage and motivation to realize their ambitions by doing one simple thing — moving forward. The campaign encourages Indian women to step out and chase their dreams by highlighting their inspiring stories. The core assertion of stories, like Anita’s, is to establish that mobility is a key enabler of people’s progress.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)