It is not surprising to see students focussing all their attention on grades and performances, especially when they are appearing for the boards. Amidst all, real-life learning takes a back seat. But not all are cut from the same cloth and some do take charge of what’s happening around them with a hope to establish a better version of the society.
This 16-year-old girl from Gurugram attended a flamboyant wedding last year which in the end turned out to be an eye-opener for her. It gave her a purpose to live and made her realize that we all are empowered to make a difference, if only we wish to.
In a candid conversation with LifeBeyondNumbers, the founder of Project Double Roti, Taira Bhargava says, “If you are willing to do something for the society, it has to come from within. Everyone should do their bit to ensure no one goes hungry in a country where there is surplus food production.”
A grade 10 student, Taira studies at the Shri Ram School, Mouslari in Gurugram. Apart from focussing on her studies and preparing for boards, this young girl is also fighting to counter the hunger and malnutrition India is strangled in.
What prompted Project Double Roti
Channelizing surplus food in an organized manner to feed the hungry is what this teenager is focussing on right now through her initiative. The term ‘Double Roti’, translates into English as ‘Bread’ and Taira has teamed up with a bakery in Modern Bazar area in New Delhi, that is helping her to fulfill her mission.
To give more power to Taira, click here.
It all happened around the last year in 2018, when Taira attended a flamboyant wedding and was overwhelmed at seeing the amount of food gets wasted in these occasions. “I decided to stay quiet and observe what happens to the excess food. Around 12 midnight, when the ceremony concluded, I witnessed heaps of excess food being sent straight to the bin which could have fed over 300 people that very day and told myself that this needs to be changed,” she said.
She continues. “The very thought that someone has to go to their bed hungry is itself very upsetting. That incident provoked me to do something about the precarious condition in the capital city.”
The Global Hunger Index 2017 ranks India at 100 out of 119 countries on the basis of three leading indicators – the prevalence of wasting and stunting in children under 5 years, under 5 child mortality rate, and the proportion of undernourished in the population.
Why do we need to eat smart
According to FAO estimates in ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2018” report, 195.9 million people are undernourished in India. By this measure, 14.8% of the population is undernourished in India. Also, 51.4% of women in reproductive age between 15 to 49 years are anemic.
Also, it is estimated that nearly one-third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year gets lost or wasted.
While talking to LBN, Taira says, “In our country, there are millions of undernourished people and that is why it is essential to eat smart so that there is plenty for others.”
Currently, she is trying to raise funds in order to fund the transportation and delivery of goods from the bakery to some missionaries and boarding schools such as Cheshire home, Kasturba Balika Vidyalaya and Mother Teresa’s, Missionaries of charity, three times a week to feed more than 300-400 hungry mouths.
She gets full support from her family. Her 19-year-old brother is also helping her to run the initiative smoothly, and a logistical company has also come forward to support her project.
Taira feels hopeful that this will, to an extent, reduce the food wastage across states and people in need will get an extra bite of food.
How You Can Help Taira
“There are many ways you can contribute towards our causes. You can work with us as a volunteer or donate to our organization. Every little bit that you commit goes a long way in helping us fulfill our mission,” says Taira.
India is home to the largest undernourished population in the world and Taira wishes to change it for good. Through crowdfunding, she plans to raise 2 lakhs rupees and help people in need by offering them food.
If you wish to help Taira in fulfilling her mission through Project Double Roti, you can
- Contact her at tairabhargava@gmail.com, or
- To fund her “Project Double Roti“, click here.
Young minds are the best minds, for they are not filtered by any factors, which let them think clearly. We all have the gift of compassion and empathy. Everything that one does as a human being builds up our memory palate. So why not fill it by doing something extremely good and cherish it forever?