In a country of over 1 billion, 194 million Indians to hungry annually. Adding to the fact India also annually wastes food amounting to $14 billion every year according to the reports of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.
While many people believe in feeding the extra food to the needful, there are only a few who follow it. Though over the years many NGO’s have stepped up for the cause, the story of Pathikrit Saha, a Zomato delivery executive is heartwarming.
As per the Zomato policy, if the customer cancels the order once it is en route, then the food can either be taken home by the delivery executive or can be given to the poor. Pathikrit chooses to do the latter.
Fondly known as “Roll Kaku” in streets of Parganas district in West Bengal, an incident that took place 4 years ago changed his outlook and approach completely.
Saha sharing the incident said, “I was passing by the Dum Dum Cantonment railway station when Poltu (name changed), a child beggar, started asking me for money. I tried to ignore the 6-year-old but he kept saying that his mother will throw him out of the house if he didn’t place a few bucks in her hand. That incident made me realise the plight of the poor, especially children.”
So trying his bit to bring in a change in the society not only does Saha has been redistributing the waste or leftover food to these underprivileged kids. He has also tied up with a restaurant in Dum Dum and picks up all the leftover food and gives to the kids. Seeing his efforts, a few of his friends and peers have also joined him in the mission.
But the story does not end here. Saha understands that providing food is not sufficient and that living good life requires more than that. Apart from his job as a delivery executive and providing the extra food to the kids Saha also runs informal classes for these kids on the platform of a railway station.
Saha shared,”Giving them food or money would mean charity that would make them dependent on me. That is not my purpose. I want them to decide their own future and education plays an important role. Thus, with one plastic mat and three children, I started the school. It now has around 30 children from the locality.”
To help these kids, he has also started Help Foundation and has officially registered it as an NGO.
Pathikrit Saha surely deserves a big salute for his noble efforts towards making society better.
