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Just over a year ago, The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) inaugurated Food for People (FFP), an innovative food initiative, in a remote area of Jharkhand, in northeastern India, where tribal people have historically struggled just to survive from day to day. Situated on six acres of land, FFP is a newly constructed, impeccably clean 10,0000-square-foot facility, equipped with a large kitchen, separate storage and food preparation rooms, a spacious dining area, and modern sanitation facilities. During its first year of operation, FFP served over 150,000 hot, nutritious indigenous meals to children and adults.
Before this facility was built, children scrounged for grub worms and sought out the nests where rats store food for their young, snatching what they could for themselves. Many adults suffered from general weakness or illness and were unable to earn enough money to take care of their families. Children dropped out of school at a very early age to begin working in exchange for food. The population as a whole, generally overlooked by the efforts of larger charities, has been caught in a devastating cycle of poverty and disease, causing a high rate of infant mortality and short life expectancy.
What a difference one year has made. Gaining better health from regular nutritionally balanced hot meals, many previously unemployed adults have been able to get jobs in nearby villages and are now providing their family’s evening meals at home.
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The children are noticeably healthier as well. School attendance and children’s ability to concentrate are both improving, and there is reason to expect that more young people will stay in school long enough to develop marketable skills, which will help them earn a better living. In time, they could be able to support their aging parents, as well as provide a better, more stable life for their own children. And equally important, people are beginning to feel hope that their lives can improve and that their children will have a future far better than the villagers have had for many generations.
Prem Rawat’s vision is straightforward and simple: if food aid can be offered while respecting local customs and the individual’s dignity, adults can then take steps to earn an income and children can be educated. Everyone can have the possibility of a more stable and healthy life. From the inception of this project, The Prem Rawat Foundation has involved the villagers in numerous ways and has consulted the village elders in the development and administration of Food for People, including meal planning that is based on the recipes of their traditional food.
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People come to FFP from several villages within a ten- to thirty-minute walking distance. During the meals, educational TV programs are shown in their native Hindi language, introducing the children to the world beyond their village, showing people of different cultures, as well as animals and landscapes they have never even imagined existed. For many of the children and adults who visit FFP, this has been their first exposure to using modern toilets, washing their hands before eating, waiting in line for their turn to be served, and being able to count on a hot nutritious meal at least once a day, year-round.
After attending the one-year celebration in India of the Food for People program, Linda Pascotto, president of TPRF, witnessed firsthand the truly amazing changes that had occurred in a single year. The somewhat glazed look on many children’s faces had been replaced by alertness, hollow cheeks had filled out, and sounds of chatter and laughter were everywhere. It was summertime, and school began in the cooler early morning hours to avoid the extreme heat of the day. The children came for their main meal on their way home from school. Orderly lines formed effortlessly as children washed their hands and picked up a thali (traditional rimmed food plate) that would soon be filled with delicious hot food.
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“The elderly, the children, and the parents have all expressed their appreciation,” she reports. “One thirteen-year-old boy told me, ‘The food always tastes good. I am feeling better now and am starting to do well in school.’ A young father told me, ‘You are doing a good job. Our children and parents from the village are getting healthier. We are so happy with what you are offering.’ Another told me, ‘Now that I have enough to eat, I am gaining back my ability to work. Without food, I was too weak to work. Now I have enough strength to support my family.’”
Villagers are clearly proud of this facility and impressed by how clean it is and how well it works. And they are part of the effort. FFP is staffed by local people—some hired and some volunteers—who have been trained to run the facility, keep it clean, cook and serve the food. As much food as possible is purchased from local markets, which helps the local economy, and some vegetables are grown on the few acres of FFP land. The village elders recommend the schedule of meals according to the season and help to envision future possibilities. In a new initiative, family members will be able to fill up tiffins, metal meal containers, with hot food to take back to the sick or elderly who are unable to come themselves.
There is general agreement that the first year has been a complete success, full of promise for the future. It will take time to evaluate the long-term impact on the community, but already there are signs that the chain of destitution is being broken. For Linda Pascotto, “We have been in operation long enough to see that once people have the health and strength that comes from regular access to nutritious food, the adults can work in the villages and the children can remain in school. As families become more self-sufficient, they need less help and are proud to regain their independence. It is a process of reversing the downward spiral that so many have been caught in for so long. We are already beginning to make plans to expand this model in new locations, initially in Nepal and southern India.”
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