“For the last ten years, my mornings have begun with food. Before heading to work, I distribute meals to 300–400 patients and caregivers outside Hyderabad’s government hospitals—people who have spent everything on treatment and have little left for even a basic meal.
The journey began in 2015 after I read about a grassroots food bank in Chennai. The idea stayed with me because it offered a way to respond to something I saw every day. Outside hospitals, families were battling not just illness but hunger. Many had travelled long distances for treatment, slept on pavements, and skipped meals to stretch whatever money they had left. I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
The first meal came from my mother’s kitchen. She cooked 40 food packets, and we distributed them ourselves. There was no organisation, no fundraising campaign, and no master plan—just a Facebook page and a belief that if people saw the need, they would step forward to help.
They did.
What started with 40 meals has grown into a network of volunteers that includes students, professionals, homemakers, and retirees. Every day begins early, with fresh food being cooked, packed, and distributed to hundreds of patients and attendants across the government hospitals such as Gandhi, Osmania, and Niloufer.
One thing has remained unchanged from day one: we do not accept cash donations. If someone wants to help, they can buy groceries, cook meals, or arrange food directly. Even supporters living abroad contribute by sending supplies through delivery services. I have always believed that people should participate in the act of giving, not just fund it.
Over the years, I have met cancer patients, migrant workers, and exhausted parents carrying burdens most of us can barely imagine. A meal cannot solve their problems, but it can ease one worry, restore dignity, and remind them that they are not alone.
Ten years later, the mission remains the same. I am not trying to build a large organisation or seek recognition. I simply want to see a Hyderabad where nobody goes hungry.
Until that day comes, I’ll keep showing up.”
— Mohammed Aziz (Food Man)