Even while you have been reading this article, somewhere in this country and maybe in your very own neighborhood, there is a child who had to forgo his/her meals simply because his/her parents can’t afford one.
Starvation, and death by starvation is as big a reality of our country. In fact, in a survey done to map out the Global Hunger Index in 2017, it was found that the hunger situation was pretty dire in our country. So much so that out of the 119 countries that were surveyed, India managed to score the 100th position. It did manage to improve its position in 2018, but only marginally, scoring 103rd rank (1), (2). Even when compared to the underdeveloped South-east Asian countries, India was doing a far worse job of feeding its citizens, barring its neighbor, Pakistan.
Now that you have this information, we want to ask you, a private citizen, what do you think can be done about this situation? Should we rail against our government for not taking good care of its not-so-fortunate citizens? Or can we, the civil society, take some affirmative action on our own? As it turns out, certain dynamic individuals did notice this issue and decided to come up with a unique solution to solve this crisis at a local, micro level. And this article chronicles their brave effort.
What Is ‘Apni Roti’?
apniroti.official / Instagram
“Apni Roti” is a Kolkata-based initiative put forth by Vikas Aggarwal, which serves 7000 rotis to around 2000 people every day. It’s basically a food van, that is fitted with an automatic roti-maker machine that does the rounds of the city, distributing food to those who can’t afford it. The van is operational 6 days a week and begins its operations at 10:30 a.m., ending it only at 7:30 p.m. The usual meal served by the van includes rotis served with dollops of ghee and homemade pickles. Occasionally, even sweets make it to the menu.
Talking about the inception of this initiative and the idea behind it with a leading daily, the founder, Mr. Aggarwal, said that he began planning for this venture last year. In his own words, “From August 2108 we started planning, and on January 1st we started the van. We wanted to serve something which would be fresh and hygienic to the needy people. I want to serve the people with something which even I can eat at home. The kind of food which we eat at home. So that was the basic idea behind it.”
How Does It Manage To Do That?
apniroti.official / Instagram
While there are a lot of NGOs which take donated pre-packaged food to the poor and the needy, and there are a few which have tie-ups with restaurants to use their extra or leftover food for feeding the underprivileged, this initiative is one of its kind.
Talking to a social portal, Vikas revealed that the project is funded entirely by him. The van, which was designed by a Gurgaon-based company which goes by the name, Prince Engineering, was the biggest piece of the puzzle, and it took a while to perfect it (3). The final version comes installed with an automatic roti-maker machine which has the capacity to churn out 1000 rotis in an hour. This makes it possible to achieve the feat of feeding 2000 people in a day. As per a post on the NGO’s official Instagram account, this initiative has managed to feed 2,50,000 people across three states.
apniroti.official / Instagram
Explaining his system, Vikas said that the entire operation is managed by a team of four people, apart from him. He and his team first identify large, impoverished areas, and then they chalk out the potential routes for the van with the purpose of covering as large an area as they possibly can. The location of the van is shared by the team on a WhatsApp group called “Apni Roti Squad” and the other official social media handles for the volunteers so that a large number of people can join in and have a decent meal (4).
In a country where almost 19 crore people sleep with an empty stomach, this small effort goes a long way in bridging the audacious hunger gap, doesn’t it? (5) Vikas and his team have certainly proved that where there’s a will there’s a way. Their valiant initiative has also proven that solutions to the most pressing of concerns are within our reach, all we need to do is stop looking for the easy way out and come together as a community to make those solutions feasible. It’s about time we stop whining over the problems our country is facing and step forward with ideas that can help eradicate the same.
Did this unique initiative win you over? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
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