Sony YAY! pays gratitude to COVID-19 warriors under their flagship initiative ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’

Mumbai: This Teacher’s day, the popular kids’ entertainment channel, Sony YAY! brings back its annual felicitation initiative ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’, to appreciateand thank the COVID warriors who have made an outstanding contribution towards the society at large, despite the strenuous circumstances. The channel through this initiative aims to bring the nation together to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of these real heroes that have inspired the nation with their selfless service in the hour of need.

The initiative which was germinated 4 years ago has continued to inspire kids by celebrating heroes from all walks of life who have taught them invaluable lessons by setting invaluable examples.In its previous editions, through the campaign ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’ Sony YAY! has honored champions including Sonu Sood, Sania Mirza, Subhash Ghai, Anupam Kher, Byju Raveendran, Sudha Murthy, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Mahavir Singh Phogat amongst others.

This year, the channel acknowledges 15 such change drivers who have stepped up to help the community and created hope for a better future.

Names of winners:

1. Faye D’Souza – Exhibited strong leadership skills by using her platform to make COVID-19 resources easily accessible and available. Her Instagram handle also became one of the most trusted news sources for thousands of citizens trying to navigate the chaotic bombardment of fake news.
2. Rajul Sharma – The founder of Fans India a non-profit group of Indian cricket fans. The Members of Fans India group came together to distribute 10 days’ worth of food supplies for 400 families in Mumbai, they also helped the needy during such difficult times.
3. Dr. Sohil Makwana – Dr. Sohil Makwana from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, who works at GMERS Medical College at Dharpur, shared two photographs that showed him completely drenched in sweat – in his PPE suit and without it and creating awareness about what frontline workers go through on a daily basis
4. Jaydev Unadkat- Rajasthan pacer Jaydev Unadkat donated 10% of his Indian T20 League salary towards providing essential medical resources for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Dr Om Shrivastav – As a Member of COVID-19 Taskforce Maharashtra, Dr Om has been instrumental in fighting against the disease and leading teams to ensure the safety of all.
6. Dr Jagdish Gandhi – Jagdish Gandhi, an award winner of the prestigious UNESCO Prize for Peace Education has been building bridges of peace across the globe for nearly 50 years. At the forefront of kids’ education movement during these difficult times, he ensured that kids of City Montessori School, returned back and strict safety protocols were followed.
7. Anil Pradhan – At the age of 21, Anil went back to his village in Odisha and set up a 3 Idiots-level Innovation School. Started with just 3 students and Anil as the only teacher, the school now has 124+ students and nine regular faculties.
8. Rana Ayyub – Providing authentic and righteous news related to COVID-19 via her social platforms like Twitter and Instagram and also using them to generate leads for finding beds and oxygen cylinders during the second wave crisis.
9. Dolly Singh – A well-known influencer, used her platform to bust ridiculous myths like why women on their periods cannot get vaccinated and posted regular updates and COVID-19 resources
10. Tarini Manchanda – A content creator and founder of The Initial Studio used her platform to share COVID-19 resources as well as urging friends, family, and followers to do their bit by contributing to worthy causes.
11. Srishti Dixit- A content creator who came forward and shared Covid-19 resources and awareness via stories and content creation.
12. Scherezade Shroff Talwar – A fashion and lifestyle influencer stepped up to the crisis and relentlessly helped anyone generate leads for oxygen cylinders and hospital beds.
13. Rasna Bhasin – The Delhi based influencer had updated her platform and had divided her highlights into two parts – ‘Covid Guide’ which has all the tips and measures and ‘Covid Emergency’ – a call to action for those looking for plasma, oxygen, or medicine urgently.
14. ‘Harsh Thali and Parathas’ – The mother-son duo converted their tiffin delivery kitchen into a ‘feed the needy’ service. They helped the community be feeding the needy during the first and second wave of the pandemic
15. Smile Foundation – Smile Foundation is distributing free ration to the underprivileged society and also providing tele-consulting and tele-counseling. Through these sessions, Smile will be talking about how to prevent COVID-19 by practicing social distancing and maintaining the hygiene of self and surroundings.