'We rise by lifting others.'
My name is Kriti, and I am 16 years old.
Over my summer break in 2019, I volunteered with an NGO called 'Dhyan Foundation' which organizes evening meals for the hungry, amongst other causes. To help them out, I went outside AIIMS hospital where they serve food. What I saw, saddened me extremely. There were hundreds of people including migrants, who were living outside the government hospital without any resources, as their income was exhausted in paying hospital bills.
Once all the NGO’s food was over and there were still so many mouths to feed, I bought a confection and gave it to a young girl, who was undergoing chemotherapy. It was not much, but when I bent down and handed it to her, she started to smile and was excited to eat it; just the gratitude in her expression spoke volumes.
However, what I saw on that day, the desperation and suffering saddened me immensely. Tens of thousands of people were living dangerously crammed on the side of a road, with one disability or another. If a small action like that could make someone even temporarily happy when they have lost faith and are surrounded by grief, I wanted to do everything in my power to make them feel happy.
The livelihood of this forsaken community is in your hands. You can donate, or volunteer with Dhyan Foundation to engage in acts of kindness and be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Risks and challenges
Hosting 1 Langar which feeds about 250 people costs Rs.7000 where plain rice and lentils are served. The foundation hosts one such Langar in the evening, on a daily basis outside AIIMS hospital, amongst other hospitals.
This funding goal can feed roughly 2666 people, as it takes only Rs.30 to feed 1 person.
Dhyan foundation receives no financial support from the government whatsoever and runs on a purely volunteer-led arrangement. Their budget comes from volunteers, supporters, and percentages of the members' salaries.
After we get funding, it will directly be supplied to the organization's bank account through which the costs of buying ingredients for this project can be born.
Through your help, we can enhance the menu and expand the number of people being fed daily.
FAQs
How can you volunteer?
Contact aiimstofeed@gmail.com if you are interested in assisting with daily Langars; by specifying the phase/s of the project you want to help with, such as cooking, transporting, buying ingredients and serving.
Why is serving others important?
Service and volunteering instill in us the sense of empathy and compassion. Whenever we feel lost in life, to ground ourselves we must help others which in turn helps us gain direction and gratitude for everything we have in our lives.
