Hyderabad: A Hyderabad techie has been feeding around 2,000 poor people every day for the last nine years, simultaneously reducing food wastage in hotels and parties.
Malleshwar Rao, who has been running the “Don’t Waste Food” initiative with the help of several volunteers, says that he started in 2011 with the distribution of leftovers from large events he used to cater for as a BTech student. As such events don’t take place every day, he collaborated with restaurants and hotels.
“I came to Hyderabad to pursue my BTech. I started as a part-time worker for an outdoor catering company. Working there made me realise that there is a lot of food that gets wasted. So I decided to bring the leftover to the poor people’s table,” says Rao who himself came from a humble background.
Rao adds there were times when his family could not afford food. This inspired him to start the initiative with a group of volunteers.
But, he says, he faced a lot of flack for the idea.
“Though I received criticism when I shared my idea, I stuck to it and gathered a few friends, packed some food from an event and went to distribute it among the people on the streets. That is how it all started,” he says.
Now, he manages to feed about 2,000 people every day.
“Since the inception of the initiative, we have been able to feed nearly 2,000 people every day. A lot of food gets wasted every day. The same food can fill a poor hungry man’s stomach. If everyone comes forward to donate food, no one would have to sleep on an empty stomach,” he says.
Apart from distributing food, Rao is also a member of another social organisation, “Konnect hope”, which is indulged in activities like the distribution of sanitary pads in schools. They also create awareness in slum areas regarding the importance of sending children to schools.