To mark 72 years of India’s independence, around 40,000 volunteers of the Robin Hood Army (RHA) are feeding more than 5 million people in villages across the country!
The ambitious initiative, titled #Mission5, began on 11 August and will culminate on Independence Day. Members of RHA chapters in 110 cities have spread out beyond their urban spheres, in order to go and serve rations to underdeveloped rural pockets, orphanages, old age homes, homeless people, and ailing patients.
Here’s a look at how the Robins are celebrating their Independence Day.
The Robin Hood Army is a group that seeks to serves the underfed by collecting surplus food from restaurants and local communities. Through #Mission5, they hope to break out of the cities and build distribution channels in villages.
“Out of the 194 million hungry Indians, more than 75% of the chronically underfed live in our rural pockets. The biggest act of freedom is serving one’s countrymen – with private citizens, youth, and civil society coming together with the best interests of our local communities, the hope is to work towards building a nation where every person’s basic right of three square meals a day becomes a reality. ”Robin Hood Army
In Public Service
Robins in flood-hit areas didn’t give up on #Mission5 due to the adverse weather conditions. Instead, they helped disaster management authorities like the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in providing relief to affected citizens.
Heroes of All Ages
At 60 years of age, Manohar is one of the most senior members of the Robin Hood Army. In the picture below, Manohar is seen being blessed by an elderly woman during a #Mission5 distribution drive in an Irula tribal settlement in Tamil Nadu’s Reddy Palayam village.
And in the picture on the right, is one of the youngest Robins distributing rations in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Talk about age not being a bar if you have the will to serve!
Blessings Galore
40,000 Robins & Zero Funds!
To feed 5 million Indians in 500 villages over a period of 5 days sounds like a really daunting task. So, how would you react if you find out that the total funds that the Robin Hood Army has is a grand total of zero rupees?
Yup, that’s because the RHA scales its efforts only through social media and partnerships, and has a strict “no funds approach”.
But with 40,000 committed Robins in 110 cities across India driven by a mission to combat hunger, no goal seems out of reach.
So to all the Robins this Independence Day...
PS: Did you know that at the 1 crore weddings every year in India, around 15% of the total food gets wasted? This alone could be used to serve meals to 9 lakh Indians every single day! The Robin Hood Army wants you to think about it, and join them in their fight against hunger. Will you?
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