Led by an incredible team of volunteers, community members, students, and artists, Mazdoor Kitchen feeds daily-wage workers in Delhi NCR and has already distributed over 480,000 meals to those from marginalised communities.
Every night, over 16% of people in India go to sleep hungry, a statistic that only continues to rise each passing year.
Hunger is a harsh reality. It adversely affects a large segment of migrant labourers, daily-wage workers, the homeless, and the unemployed, who often lack access to a warm meal.
That’s where Mazdoor Kitchen steps in. This grassroots, voluntary initiative that began during the COVID-19 pandemic provides meals and sustenance to those from marginalised communities in Delhi NCR. Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, Mazdoor Kitchen not only cooks, but also packs and delivers about 500 meals a day. These meals are then distributed to individuals and communities who do not have the socio-economic means to feed themselves.
Cooked meals are distributed across Delhi NCR in areas like Nigambodh Ghat, Monastery market road, and behind Geeta Mandir, which have a growing, vulnerable population including the homeless, the unemployed, daily-wage workers, migrants, rickshaw drivers, and rag pickers.
For some, the cooked meal packet from Mazdoor Kitchen is their only source of food in the day. For other under-resourced communities and families, these meals help them save their meagre daily earnings, and put them to use for other essentials such as medicines, rations, or educating their children.
Why Do This?
At The Locavore, supporting initiatives that combat hunger is a core part of our mission of #DoingGoodThroughFood. That’s why we were proud to join forces with Mazdoor Kitchen to raise funds for their community kitchen in Delhi. As 15 August approaches, we invite you once again to contribute to Mazdoor Kitchen and embark on a journey towards #FreedomFromHunger.
The Locavore’s Past Involvement
In August 2023, we launched our first #FreedomFromHunger campaign to help Mazdoor Kitchen access the resources needed to feed over 15,500 hungry individuals across Delhi. Through our digital presence, we aimed to aid the kitchen’s mission of providing meals to 418 individuals daily in the city for over one month while amplifying their impact.
Here’s how we made a difference:
Fundraising
Over rupees 3 lakh were raised during the two-month-long campaign in August and September 2023. These funds were later used by Mazdoor Kitchen to deliver a total of 23,624 meals and 30 ration kits to communities across Delhi NCR.
Storytelling
We were also able to showcase Mazdoor Kitchen’s work to larger audiences through our #InsideMyKitchen feature. Written by Riddhi Dastidar after several visits to the kitchen, it brings to life the process of creation and care that goes into these nutritious meals. The feature also imagines community kitchens as an overlooked yet essential tool in addressing growing poverty, hunger, and displacement in the country.
Social Media
The Locavore’s social media posts and shout-outs helped build an online support base for Mazdoor Kitchen, inviting hundreds of contributions.
Testimonial
“The collaboration with The Locavore last year, and the Freedom from Hunger Campaign renewed our faith in the power of community. Thank you for inspiring your community of volunteers, chefs, and food companies to be a part of Mazdoor Kitchen and for contributing to this critical cause of addressing hunger. If every community in every city started a co-op movement where those that have surplus resources could donate to those who don’t, the gap between those in high-rise buildings and those on the roads could be decreased. Thank you for constantly highlighting the connections between food, community, and human rights. We are all in this together.”
— Nida Ansari, Mazdoor Kitchen
How You Can Make A Difference
We at The Locavore want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who stood by us in our mission to combat hunger through our fundraising campaign for Mazdoor Kitchen.
Our campaign may have concluded, but our collective journey towards #FreedomFromHunger is far from over. You can still make a difference by continuing to support Mazdoor Kitchen and their noteworthy cause. For more information and details on how you can donate, visit their profile here.
If you would like us to feature an organisation from your city, town or village, or if you run one yourself, please reach out to us at connect@thelocavore.in with the subject line ‘Freedom from Hunger’.
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