Feeding the hungry is one of the most genuine expression of human love such as a mother loving crafting delicacies for the family or the father working tirelessly to make sure no in the house goes to sleep on an empty stomach. Rakesh Panchal undertook the valiant task of feeding the whole country by helming a tiffin service. Less than two days before the father passed away, he had a conversation with his son that sparked this important mission, it started as one person's effort to feed the poor and has now grown into a registered trust that employs 18 people and has served over 2.5 lakh meals until now. Christened 'Visamo Tiffin Seva', Rakesh's motto is 'He who gives, receives'. So what exactly did his father say inspired this selfless soul to undertake this monumental task?
Rakesh dropped out of college in his second year of BSc and started working in a local private news channel to pursue his passion for journalism. He then joined a news channel in Hyderabad and worked in cities like Delhi, Gujarat and Mumbai. However, he had to return home to his father about a decade ago when his father's health deteriorated, Rakesh decided to settle down in Vaso and eventually started expanding his father's construction material business. He recounts the selfless nature of his father that he saw while working with him for 3 years. He says that . He would keep a jug of cold water and give it to anyone passing by to quench their thirst.
During this time, Rakesh used to frequent the Vaso Government Hospital for work. After the construction was complete, the hospital authorities told him that food was a major problem for patients who were coming from neighbouring villages. They requested him to find a way to provide them with food. In parellel, Rakesh's father Manubhai shared his wish to give free food to the poor. He wanted to do Ram roti seva (free food for the poor) but due to the expenses, Rakesh suggested that they should wait. Tragically, he suddenly passed away 3 days later. That conversation kept playing in Rakesh’s mind and he felt very bad.
Many of us carry regrets about not fulfilling our loved ones' wishes, especially our parents'. Some wish they could go back and change things, while others follow the path their parents showed them. Rakesh Panchal decided to do the latter. Just two days after his father Manubhai Panchal's death, the 44-year-old started serving food to the underprivileged. What started as a wish to fulfil his father's wish by doing seva (service) has grown into a full-fledged initiative to distribute full meals daily to over 500 senior citizens in Gujarat's Vaso taluka.
He then visited the hospital and asked the doctors what breakfast would be good for the patients, specifically pregnant women. As per the doctor’s advice, he started getting sheera (a sweet made with semolina, ghee, sugar and dry fruits) and served it to three pregnant women. He planned to do this for 15 days to honour his father’s wish, but instead, he found a higher calling.
Humble beginnings:
Initially, it would cost Rakesh about Rs 300 per day to distribute food. As he started paying for meals for abandoned senior citizens, his costs rose to Rs 500 per day. He posted about it on Facebook, and one of his friends donated Rs 500 to the cause. Soon, more donations started trickling in.
From feeding one old man, he gradually started feeding 15 old people, with each meal costing Rs 50 per day. He knew that outsourcing wasn’t going to cut it anymore as more people reached out for food. During the COVID lockdown too, he couldn’t serve food as the tiffin service wasn’t optional.
To avoid such gaps, he registered ‘Visamo Sarvajanik Charitable Trust Vaso’ and started a kitchen of his own. Today, the Visamo Tiffin Seva provides hot lunches consisting of roti, dal, rice and sabzi to more than 500 people in Vaso and four nearby villages. They have 18 employees and numerous vans to transport the food.
Rakesh also provides milk and biscuits for breakfast at the hospital daily. It costs him Rs 21,000 daily and he has been managing to bear the costs through crowdfunding.
If you wish to help Rakesh’s endeavour, you can make donations here.