“At five years old, survival became my daily routine. When the devastating floods of 1998 destroyed our small family farm in Nagpur, we migrated to Nizamabad with nothing but uncertainty. Childhood, for me, didn’t mean school bells or playgrounds; it meant scrubbing grease off lorries, carrying bricks at construction sites, and washing dishes at roadside hotels just to earn a few rupees to support my family.

My life changed when a social volunteer noticed me at a construction site and brought me to Samskar Ashram. Under the guidance of renowned social workers Hemalata Lavanam Garu and Lavanam Garu, I was given something I had never experienced before: the chance to sit inside a classroom. Growing up in the Ashram alongside children from difficult backgrounds taught me that social service is not charity; it is a responsibility we must carry forward.

Years later, determined to stand on my own feet, I moved to Hyderabad to pursue my B.Tech. To support my education and send money home, I worked nights with an outdoor catering company. Life became a constant race with engineering classes during the day and serving guests at grand weddings and parties by night.

Then came the night that changed everything.
In 2012, after a lavish event, I watched workers dump huge containers of untouched food straight into garbage bins. At that moment, memories of sleeping hungry on Hyderabad railway platforms came rushing back. I realized hunger was not just my past; it was still someone else’s present. Food wastage was real. Suffering was real. And walking away was no longer an option.

That very night, along with a few friends, I packed leftover food into gunny bags and stepped onto the streets to find people who needed it. That small act became the beginning of ‘Don’t Waste Food.’
What started as a handful of students has today grown into a large volunteer-driven movement. Every night, our team members travel across the city, from government hospital corridors to urban slums, ensuring that surplus food reaches those who would otherwise sleep hungry.

Over time, our work expanded beyond food distribution. We began collaborating with like-minded organizations to support education, menstrual hygiene awareness, and emergency relief initiatives. During the pandemic, our volunteers became a lifeline for many families, arranging oxygen cylinders and helping restore dignity even in moments of unimaginable loss.
From being a child laborer to being featured by NDTV and The Better India, receiving appreciation from industrialist Anand Mahindra, and having our work mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji in Mann Ki Baat, the journey has been long.

But recognition is never the destination.
For me, the real reward is simple: knowing that somewhere in Telangana tonight, because we chose to act instead of look away, a hungry child will sleep with a full stomach and a little more hope.”

— Malleshwar Rao Nemani, Founder, Don’t Waste Food