Providing meals to Mumbai’s hungry

Rotarians of RI District 3141 are reaching out to the homeless in the slums of Mumbai with warm, nutritious meals through Project Annapurna. “Named after Goddess Annapoorani, the Hindu deity of food and nourishment who is believed to never let her devotees go hungry, the project aims to address the critical need for nutritious food among the city’s underserved communities,” says Hemang Jangla, the Avenue chair who conceived this initiative.

“Since the start of this Rotary year (2024–25), we have been distributing 100 to 200 freshly cooked meals every day in food-grade containers across slum pockets of Mumbai,” says Kinjal Gosalia, past president of RC Mumbai Neo. The project covers areas from Borivali to Dadar and Andheri to Mulund, systematically divided into four zones — east, west, north and south — each managed by a dedicated Annapurna team. These teams identify the most vulnerable households and ensure that meals reach those who need them the most.

“We didn’t want to distribute groceries, because many of these families are homeless — they don’t have a place to cook,” she explains. That’s why the focus is on ready-to-eat, nutritious meals.

Thanks to Jangla’s partnership with Kapila Foods, a cloud kitchen in Andheri, the team sources meals at subsidised rates. A standard meal, consisting of four rotis, sabzi, some rice and dal, is priced at ₹120. Jangla sponsors 50 per cent of the cost, while other Rotarians and donors cover the rest. A more economical option at ₹60 — offering rice, dal and khichdi — is also available and widely preferred by donors, as it brings the cost down to ₹30 per meal after Jangla’s contribution.

Twelve Rotary clubs across Mumbai have joined the mission, sponsoring meal packets to slum communities in their respective localities. Kinjal, who lives in Virar, also extends support to nearby ashrams housing orphans and destitute women.

With a project outlay of ₹92 lakh, over 70,000 people, including children, the elderly, pregnant women and young students, have benefitted from this project.

But the project doesn’t stop at cooked meals. For more stable communities, the Annapurna team has also supplied 6,000 monthly grocery packs including atta, rice, dal, pulses and cooking oil to over 100 institutions, such as old age homes and orphanages in eastern Mumbai. These kits were distributed for six months.

Food businesses such as Maggi, Oreo, Britannia, Haldirams and Nestlé have also partnered with Rotary in this fight against hunger. “We visit zilla parishad schools and distribute biscuits, chocolates, noodles and other snacks sponsored by these corporates. The children are overjoyed. We’ve even given oats packets to school students,” she says.

With a project outlay of ₹92 lakh, over 70,000 people, including children, the elderly, pregnant women and young students, have benefitted from this project. “At the end of the day, we’re just happy we can fill a few hungry stomachs. Food is not a luxury; it’s a basic human right. When people are well-fed, they can think clearly, study better, work harder and live with dignity,” smiles Kinjal.

DG Chetan Desai has congratulated the team and pledged his support for the programme. “Our mission does not end here. The fight against hunger and poverty is ongoing, and it requires continuous effort and commitment,” says Jangla.