more-in Navi Mumbai: It’s 10.30 p.m. on a deserted street at Kharghar, but a young couple is oblivious of the time or surroundings. Pushpendra Kumar (36) and Shweta Kumar (35), are engrossed in distributing hot dal khichdi on paper plates, along with water bottles, to pavement dwellers in the area. Krishna (12), limps across to them and displays the injury on his foot. Immediately, the couple takes out the first aid kit from their car, clean the wound, and apply an ointment. “This is a common sight and wounds and injuries are a regular feature due to hard labour at such a tender age,” says Ms. Kumar. For nearly a year, the couple has been regularly attending to pavement dwellers. On September 13, 2016, they began an initiative named, ‘Nobody Goes Hungry Tonight’ with a mission to feed at least two pavement dwellers every day, covering all the nodes of Navi Mumbai. “The initiative started with an attempt to feed two people. But today, we make food for at least 30 people,” says Ms. Kumar. Food is prepared at home with the help of a cook and there are usually three items on the menu. “Dal khichdi and dal rice are served on weekdays, and on weekends, we serve pav bhaji,” says Mr. Kumar. The couple also distributes notebooks, pens and pencils to school-going children. The trigger Working for the underprivileged came naturally to Ms. Kumar, who was born into a family that was involved in many social activities. “We were taken to homes for beggars in Anushakti Nagar and those for lepers in Mankhurd. We also spent time with children of remand homes in Mankhurd.” Further, as part of her social studies projects in Class VIII, she got to visit pavement and hutment dwellers. With the help of her friends, she even started a ‘Book Bank’ initiative, collecting books from door to door and giving it to the needy students. At the age of 16, she supported the son of a watchman: with her pocket money, she paid his tuition fees. “Today that child, who was then in senior KG, has cleared his SSC exam with 92%,” she says. Her desire to serve society found fulfilment even after she got married; her husband had a similar inclination. But in his case, it was born out of living in harsh conditions. “My father was a mechanic in Agra, and hence, it was difficult for him to support our family of nine,” says Mr. Kumar. While his father wanted him to become a mechanic, Mr. Kumar wanted to do something different and ran away to Mumbai. “For 15 days, I had nothing to eat and quenched my hunger with biscuits dipped in water,” he says. “That experience made me understand the value of food and what one goes through, if there is nothing.” Mr. Kumar began by selling printer cartridges for a trading company in 2000. Gradually, he moved up the career ladder, and his last position was Digital Sales Head at Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd. He now runs his own IT company, Equence Technologies, in Malad along with Ms. Kumar, who is a director in the company. Soon after marriage, the couple’s social activity was limited to donating books, foodgrains, medicines. But on September 12, 2016, something stirred within. They came across two young children who had not eaten since two days. “We were dining at a Chinese restaurant, and when we came out, saw two young boys. It was obvious from their faces that they had not eaten for long,” says Ms. Kumar. The couple not only packed food for them, but also pledged to feed at least two people daily. An inspiration to others The couple assigns 5% of their salary every month towards this initiative. “I was a heavy smoker and spent around ?500 daily on cigarettes. I have given up this addiction and that money too goes into buying stationery and food,” says Mr. Kumar. While they do not accept money from others, they welcome offers to help in kind. “My mother, for instance, donates mats and blankets on a regular basis,” says Ms. Kumar. They even collect old, but not torn clothes, from people. “We request people not to throw away old toys. These can bring smiles on the faces of many other children,” she says. Their initiative has motivated many of their friends to undertake similar work. Hitesh Bansode (32), for instance, a Nagpur-based mechanic. “I was so motivated and inspired by their work that I decided to do the same in my area,” he says. Harsh Jain (36), a restaurateur in Indonesia, has also started giving free food to the needy in Bali. Sachin Bhagat (34), a resident of Seawoods, says while he cannot cook every day, he has been inspired to donate food grains to the needy. For the couple, this is more than a validation of what they do. “We would feel really blessed, if through our initiative, even one individual gets inspired and starts a similar drive in their area,” says Mr. Kumar. Their ultimate desire is to see, “nobody goes hungry ever.” Snapshot Project: Nobody Goes Hungry Tonight Founders: Pushpendra and Shweta Kumar Founded: September 13, 2016 Facebook: @nobodygoeshungrytonight Contact: 09167550054

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