"Please sir, I want some more." This line from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens resonates with me, every time I see a hungry person. The innocence, the helplessness and the bravery talk to you asking to show some kindness. Amidst all the struggles, Oliver does find a saviour in Mr Brownlow who nurtures him. There are millions of hungry Olivers in India who wait every single day for their Mr.Brownlow to arrive. It was not long before their prayers were answered. An organisation born out of the will to feed the have-nots decided to bridge the huge chasm between the hungry and the well-fed. The Robin Hood Army got its name when one of the volunteers joked about them being Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw who stole from the rich and distributed the booty among the poor. What sets this organisation apart from other charitable organisations is that they not only feed the hungry but are also preventing food wastage in the process.
During a short stint at the Re-Food programme in Portugal, one of the founders Neel Ghose thought of implementing the same in India. The programme worked on the principle of involving unpaid volunteers in collecting surplus food from restaurants and distributing it among the hungry. Together with his friend Anand Sinha, Neel founded the Robin Hood Army on August 6th, 2014. In its nascent stage, the army merely had six robins in one city and has now burgeoned into 1047 robins serving more than 18 cities. the long term goal is to create self-sustainable communities where local volunteers scout for food in their vicinity, contributions pour in from restaurants and the hungry are fed. Some restaurant owners decided to go the extra mile. Instead of providing surplus food, they prepared fresh meals to be distributed. Support and encouragement has been pouring in from all quarters. The Robins have not restricted themselves to food distribution alone. Warm blankets were also part of their distribution drive during the harsh winter.
Robin Hood Army is not a first in its category catering to help hungry people. There are food banks, local charities, temples etc that serve people on an occasional basis. Their model and the passion to drive is why they are making waves. It is an all volunteer organisation with no employees and all they ask for is your time. No monetary donations are asked for to run their campaigns and sometimes volunteers pay for by themselves to make sure that their weekly goal of distribution isn't hampered. They have found tremendous support in the cities that they currently operate and are growing fast. It isn't just restaurants but caterers from weddings and some generous brides and grooms who have given away surplus food to the organisation. The magnitude of food wastage at weddings is exceptionally large, and one of first few drives in Hyderabad; they could feed 970 people with surplus food from one wedding. The problem is not lack of food but excessive wastage which the army wants to resolve.
Good vibes often travel fast and the ripples created here in India were felt in Pakistan. Sarah Afridi, who has known Neel since their days at the London School Of Economics decided to start a chapter in Pakistan. In Pakistan, there are six core team members currently serving two cities. Teams from both countries regularly help each other with operational and other issues. Experiences at this army camp are full of stories of happiness, hope, courage and valuing life. During their distribution drives at a hospital, they learnt that a patient of leukemia needed blood urgently. Within minutes, they were able to line up people willing to donate. Many such stories form an integral part of who the Robins are, and how they function.
How do they spread the word? Social media like Facebook and Twitter are their virtual town criers. These mediums have been used to share experiences, inform about an upcoming drive, and encourage people to volunteer. During Diwali, they ran an interesting campaign, " Be a Robin this Diwali" inspiring people to come forward and join the cause. Another of their famous campaigns called Mission 100K was launched simultaneously in both countries rallying the student community to support so that they could feed so many people. The word is spreading fast and they hope to achieve their goal of no food wastage and hungry soul. In the words of Aarushi Batra, media head for RHA, they have only accomplished 0.1%. Their vision is simple, to eliminate food wastage and hunger globally through self-sustained chapters who will look after their local community and inspire others to give back. It is a very decentralised organisation and does not accept monetary contributions. your time is all they need.
Robin Hood Army is not a first in its category catering to help hungry people. There are food banks, local charities, temples etc that serve people on an occasional basis. Their model and the passion to drive is why they are making waves. It is an all volunteer organisation with no employees and all they ask for is your time. No monetary donations are asked for to run their campaigns and sometimes volunteers pay for by themselves to make sure that their weekly goal of distribution isn't hampered. They have found tremendous support in the cities that they currently operate and are growing fast. It isn't just restaurants but caterers from weddings and some generous brides and grooms who have given away surplus food to the organisation. The magnitude of food wastage at weddings is exceptionally large, and one of first few drives in Hyderabad; they could feed 970 people with surplus food from one wedding. The problem is not lack of food but excessive wastage which the army wants to resolve.
Good vibes often travel fast and the ripples created here in India were felt in Pakistan. Sarah Afridi, who has known Neel since their days at the London School Of Economics decided to start a chapter in Pakistan. In Pakistan, there are six core team members currently serving two cities. Teams from both countries regularly help each other with operational and other issues. Experiences at this army camp are full of stories of happiness, hope, courage and valuing life. During their distribution drives at a hospital, they learnt that a patient of leukemia needed blood urgently. Within minutes, they were able to line up people willing to donate. Many such stories form an integral part of who the Robins are, and how they function.
How do they spread the word? Social media like Facebook and Twitter are their virtual town criers. These mediums have been used to share experiences, inform about an upcoming drive, and encourage people to volunteer. During Diwali, they ran an interesting campaign, " Be a Robin this Diwali" inspiring people to come forward and join the cause. Another of their famous campaigns called Mission 100K was launched simultaneously in both countries rallying the student community to support so that they could feed so many people. The word is spreading fast and they hope to achieve their goal of no food wastage and hungry soul. In the words of Aarushi Batra, media head for RHA, they have only accomplished 0.1%. Their vision is simple, to eliminate food wastage and hunger globally through self-sustained chapters who will look after their local community and inspire others to give back. It is a very decentralised organisation and does not accept monetary contributions. your time is all they need.
