Birthday parties, weddings and most social gatherings are incomplete without food, but while most people have no qualms in ordering or making large quantities of food for an event, they don’t think twice before dumping the leftovers in bins. In a bid to eliminate this wastage, the dabbawalas of Mumbai recently started an initiative called ‘Roti (bread) Bank’ using their legendary delivery skills to help feed slum dwellers and the homeless who face hunger on a daily basis.
Speaking about the initiative, Subhash Talekar, president of the Mumbai Dabbawala union explained that owing to their busy daily work, the dabbawallas could only help feed the needy in their free time. And since the excess food was collected at odd hours, they faced a lot of problems in delivering the food before it became stale.
It was then that the Godrej Group came forward to help the dabbawalas by providing them with 25 specially designed bicycles. These bicycles are fitted with small refrigerators which run on battery and can be recharged. And as the battery lasts two to three hours, the food can be stored for longer hours and does not get spoiled.
The response has been overwhelming, with the Roti Bank receiving up to 100 phone calls from donors in a span of a day. The initiative now plans to station dabbawalas at local stations where people can hand over excess food and leftovers, and have also tied up with wedding planners and caterers in the city to widen their reach.
It’s a simple initiative but such a selfless one. Here’s hoping that it helps ensure that no one in Mumbai goes to sleep on an empty stomach from now on.
To donate extra food, get in touch with the lunchbox delivery men on the helpline number (+919867221310 and +918652760542).
Featured image source: DNA India
Written by Anisha Kashwani
