Caremongers India: Facebook Group That Brought Together 52,000 Strangers Who Volunteered To Run Errands For Old And Needy During The Pandemic!

The massive disruption during the pandemic made us realise the power of social connections. One such heart-warming story is that of Caremongers India, a Facebook group started by Mahita Nagraj, a digital marketing professional, on March 17th, 2020. Mahita's story demonstrates that if you have hope, passion, resolve and courage … you WILL find the fuel to power your ideas and do big things for your community, the country and the world.

At the inaugural session of Facebook Fuel for India, Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook, spoke to Mahita who started Caremongers India, amidst the pandemic with a simple message to "stop scaremongering and start caremongering".

Sheryl who cares about women in leadership said, "What we see so often is someone does good and inspires other people to do that but often the story behind it is of real personal sacrifice.You had to isolate yourself from your son and mom"

Mahita says, "The group was created after a single phone call from a friend in the UK, who needed help in buying medicines for her parents in Bengaluru. I would never ever regret starting Caremongers India. There was a point in time when I was pulling 20-22 hour days and it just wasn't fair to expose them to any risk. The three of us, who are the closest to each other, were apart for a little over two months and it was difficult not seeing them." This triggered the set up of Caremongers as Mahita decided to create a platform where people could request for help or volunteer to help a stranger in need.

In less than eight months, the group has gained over 52,000 members and has grown beyond Bengaluru to other states in India as well. Today, the group and its members have fulfilled 25,000 requests in 17 countries.

People who came together in this group helped each other in many small and big ways. The requests ranged from asking people to run simple errands to requesting for doorstep delivery of medicines for ailing parents during the lockdown.

The story of Mahita Nagraj demonstrates that kindness can take you a long way and people can use the power of social media to make this world a better place. The Logical Indian appreciates Facebook for its role as an enabler of all the good work done by the concerned citizens of the country. Despite the cathartic aftermaths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world witnessed the amount of good that continues to be there in the world. The way communities from all walks came forward to outpour charities, promote togetherness and empathy goes on to exemplify that a larger positive impact can be generated when strangers come together even with small and sincere intention to bring the change.

For more such inspiring stories of resilience, visit http://www.facebookfuelforindia.com