Tanvi Kosuri is a Johns Hopkins University public health student whose family hails from Andhra Pradesh. This summer she spent ten weeks coordinating a Johns Hopkins volunteer effort at the M&T Bank Stadium vaccination site. More than 200 JHU student volunteers supported non-clinical operations at the stadium that vaccinated roughly 6,000 people a day against COVID-19 at its peak.

This experience was so motivating for her that she wanted to do more. Tanvi reached out to VFF USA to ask how she could support our health initiatives in rural India. We started talking about the Chenchu community, who live in the Nallamala forest, located between the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and one of the most remote areas of rural India.

The Chenchu population is over 47,000 people, and they are primarily dependent on the forest for their food and livelihood. They must visit surrounding villages to sell their products and also to gather basic supplies. Despite their isolation, they are vulnerable to COVID-19 and to misinformation about preventative measures. COVID-19 has swept through this community, and our implementing partner, the Rural Development Trust (RDT), is working to protect the Chenchu tribal community with access to vaccinations and health information.

“When I learned that the Chenchu community needs help with vaccination, I decided to start a campaign to support RDT awareness efforts there,” Tanvi said.

Tanvi found out that it takes an average of 45 minutes to go from the Srisailam area to the closest hospital, so she decided to launch the #WalkforNallamala Initiative. The campaign started on Saturday, October 16 at The Johns Hopkins University campus in Baltimore, Maryland, and lasted two weeks. Tanvi shared that within the first couple of days from the start of the campaign, many volunteers stepped in to help. “It’s amazing what people can do when you ask for a good cause,” said Tanvi.

Tanvi and her team of volunteers raised over $2,000!  This will fund efforts to raise vaccine awareness in the Chenchu community, with the aim that all eligible Chenchu community members receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the next coming months.

“My dream is to build a hospital for the tribal people living in some of the most remote areas of rural India. I feel that my purpose is to serve those who need it the most,” she said.

Tanvi is one of our young champions who wants to make a real difference in the world!