Mumbai’s COVID Hero – The inspirational story of Mauris Noronha
Mumbai, 2nd September, 2020:As India marks its sixth month of living with the coronavirus pandemic, the situation continues to deteriorate. Millions across the nation have been left in dire straits, reeling under the spectre of unemployment and unable to provide for themselves and their families. These trying times desperately call for a hero. And for lakhs of individuals across Maharashtra, that call has been answered by philanthropist and businessman Mauris Noronha.
A resident of Borivali’s I.C. Colony, Mauris is a professional poker player who has dedicated himself to the task of caring for society’s most vulnerable segments. From the time the lockdown began, this generous soul has provided essential supplies and provisions to lakhs of needy families in Mumbai and across Maharashtra. Traveling across the city and its adjoining regions, Mauris has made it his mission to reach out to as many in need as possible.
This determination to help society first took root in his own backyard. When news of the upcoming lockdown was first announced in March, Mauris advised the members of his housing society to maintain a strict quarantine and took it upon himself to supply over 120 families in their own compound. Aware of the ease with which the coronavirus spread and the danger it posed, especially to the elderly and the young, he was determined to keep his neighborhood safe.
As the impact of the lockdown on society’s weakest sections became apparent in the coming weeks, Mauris refused to stand by idly. With a team of likeminded volunteers, he initiated a door-to-door campaign in the worst hit slums of Mumbai. Initially focused on Borivali and Dahisar, Mauris and his team personally visited zero-income families in these areas with daily and weekly deliveries of food supplies. By, this initiative had provided vital rations to 5 lakhs of individuals across an approximate of 40,000 households.
But his generosity didn’t stop there. Drawing solely from his own earnings Mauris has since expanded his outreach efforts to every corner of Mumbai, from Cuffe Parade to Virar, and stretching as far north in Palghar. In addition, he has distributed supplies in areas of Ahmednagar, Shirdi, Pune and Nasik and the surrounding districts of Maharashtra. Working tirelessly throughout the day, Mauris has also begun to extend his aid in other ways. He has begun to distribute vital medical supplies and protective equipment to ambulance staffers and auto-rickshaw drivers in the region, and helped stranded migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar navigate the bureaucratic requirements necessary to return to their homes. Furthermore, he has extended his support and generosity to numerous stranded migrants, handicapped groups, trans-genders, school teachers, ambulance personnel, police staff, BEST drivers, press reporters, fishing workers and villagers, auto-rickshaw drivers, security personnel, senior citizens, and bar girls, etc and many more people have received support from Mauris.
This marks the sixth month of his ongoing crusade to aid those in need. In this timeframe, Mauris has singlehandedly provided over an immeasurable number of life-saving supplies to tens of thousands of individuals. Through his selfless efforts and without taking any donations from anybody be it in any form, Mauris has proved himself to be the hero our nation so desperately needs, serving as a shining example of all that is good about the human spirit.
