Ashraf Engineer
December 23, 2020
The sudden, poorly-managed lockdown earlier this year resulted in a massive internal migration as lakhs of workers left cities for home. Hunger was their constant companion as they walked, in many cases, a thousand kilometres with their belongings and families. Among the poor living in cities, lakhs were rendered penniless and without the means to sustain themselves. Enter the Khaana Chahiye movement, which took it upon itself to battle this hunger.
The team started with 1,200 meals on March 29, 2020, but one thing led to another and, within eight months, they have served more than 46.5 lakh cooked meals and distributed 20,000 grocery kits. They have gone on to support 30 orphanages, old-age homes, LGBTQ+ support groups and hospitals.
Ruben Mascarenhas, co-founder of Khaana Chahiye, speaks to All Indians Matter about how the movement began, its journey so far and its plans for a ‘hunger map’ of Mumbai to target the needy better.
